Set and Exhibit Designers
Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications · Visual Arts
Pay and outlook shown for
New workers start near $36,480; experienced workers reach $111,450. About 210 people do this job in Texas.
Job outlook
U.S. projection, 2024 to 2034.
- Employment change
- +2%
- Openings a year
- 2,500
- Employed in 2024
- 31,300
Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
Alamo Colleges programs that lead here
1 program, with the college that teaches each.
Skills this career uses
The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Operations Analysis3.8
- Speaking3.6
- Time Management3.6
- Coordination3.5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
What the work is
Design special exhibits and sets for film, video, television, and theater productions. May study scripts, confer with directors, and conduct research to determine appropriate architectural styles.
- Examine objects to be included in exhibits to plan where and how to display them.
- Acquire, or arrange for acquisition of, specimens or graphics required to complete exhibits.
- Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
- Confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or promotion requirements.
- Estimate set- or exhibit-related costs, including materials, construction, and rental of props or locations.
- Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
Education people in this job have
Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.
- Some college10%
- Associate degree5%
- Bachelor's degree33%
- Master's degree43%
- Doctoral or professional10%
Job zone 5, extensive preparation: A graduate or professional degree, usually after a bachelor's.
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