Headline risk
22%
Moderate RiskSet and exhibit designers
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
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.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 66,280
Employment 2024
31.3K
Projected Change (2024–34)
2.3%
Openings (2024–34)
2.5K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of set and exhibit designers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations. AI use: 0%
- 2. Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed. AI use: 0%
- 3. Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams relating to aspects such as special effects or lighting. AI use: 0%
- 4. Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements. AI use: 0%
- 5. Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions. AI use: 0%
- 6. Attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 37.1 · 69K employed
Under 25: 7% · 25–54: 80% · 55+: 13%
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Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
title_match · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Set and exhibit designers develop visual and tactile spaces for entertainment productions or for a variety of displays.
Many set and exhibit designers are self-employed. They may move from one short-term, full-time job to another, working for a series of employers rather than only one. These workers may be hired on a per-project or contract basis.
Set and exhibit designers typically need a bachelor’s degree in theater design, exhibit design, or a related field. Some employers prefer to hire candidates who have a master’s degree.
The median annual wage for set and exhibit designers was $66,280 in May 2024.
Employment of set and exhibit designers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.