---

Set and Exhibit Designers in Iowa

Want to work as a Set and Exhibit Designers in Iowa? Here’s what you need to know. 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.

What do Set and Exhibit Designers Make in Iowa?

For set and exhibit designers working in Iowa, the typical annual salary is $48,150 per year (or about $23.15/hour).Earnings range from $44,780 at the 10th percentile to $68,530 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$44,780	$21.53
25th percentile	$47,580	$22.88
Median (50th)	$48,150	$23.15
75th percentile	$55,790	$26.82
90th percentile	$68,530	$32.95

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, set and exhibit designers earn a median of $109,049 per year ($52.43/hour), below the Iowa median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 260,467 set and exhibit designers nationwide.

Top States for Set and Exhibit Designers Employment

View the states that employ the most set and exhibit designers work.

State	Number Employed
California	2,770
New York	1,250
Florida	890
Missouri	510
Utah	380
Tennessee	370
Illinois	350
New Jersey	300
Maryland	290
Texas	270
Ohio	260
District of Columbia	260
Massachusetts	250
Georgia	170
Minnesota	170
Nevada	160
Washington	150
North Carolina	150
Kansas	150
Pennsylvania	130

Highest-Paying States for Set and Exhibit Designers

These states pay the most for set and exhibit designers.

State	Annual Median Salary
California	$100,020
Washington	$78,320
Maryland	$78,200
Massachusetts	$73,290
Illinois	$71,340
New Jersey	$67,870
Colorado	$66,050
Minnesota	$65,770
District of Columbia	$61,800
Oregon	$61,240

Skills

The most important set and exhibit designers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for set and exhibit designers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, set and exhibit designers typically:

• Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
• Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
• Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams relating to aspects such as special effects or lighting.
• Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements.
• Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions.
• Attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets.
• Confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or promotion requirements.
• Research architectural and stylistic elements appropriate to the time period to be depicted, consulting experts for information, as necessary.
• Observe sets during rehearsals in order to ensure that set elements do not interfere with performance aspects such as cast movement and camera angles.
• Collaborate with those in charge of lighting and sound so that those production aspects can be coordinated with set designs or exhibit layouts.
• Select set props, such as furniture, pictures, lamps, and rugs.
• Design and build scale models of set designs, or miniature sets used in filming backgrounds or special effects.

Work Activities

• Thinking Creatively
• Getting Information
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Working with Computers
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Scheduling Work and Activities
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software In-demand technologies: Adobe Illustrator

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

• Design & Applied Arts
• Drama & Theater Arts

  Featured schools near , edit

  Previous Next

  College Finder

  ×

  Desired Degree Level - Select One - Associate Bachelor Master Doctorate Certificate / Diploma Desired Study Area - Select One - Criminal Justice & Legal Business & Commnunications Technology Fine Arts & Design Health, Nursing, Medicine Psychology & Counseling Education & Teaching Vocational Traning Zip Code

  High School/GED Grad Year Highest Level of Education Completed - Select One - Haven't completed High School High School/GED Associate Bachelor Master Doctorate

Related Careers

Other careers like set and exhibit designers include:

• Video Game Designers
• Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
• Landscape Architects
• Architectural and Civil Drafters
• Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary
• Curators

Also Known As

Creator, Designer, Display Coordinator, Display Designer, Event Decorator, Event Designer, Exhibit Coordinator, Exhibit Designer, Exhibit Preparator, Exhibit Specialist, Exhibit Technician (Exhibit Tech), Exhibitions Coordinator, Exhibitor, Exhibits Manager, Exhibits Specialist.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 27-1027.00