Set and Exhibit Designers Salary
The median pay for a set and exhibit designers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $50,640/year ($24.35/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $70K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $55,224 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 39.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About set and exhibit designers
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What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Pay for set and exhibit designers in Des Moines-West Des Moines runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $75K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 39.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for set and exhibit designerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for set and exhibit designers in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $56K | $59K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $66K | $63K |
| Kansas City | $53K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level set and exhibit designers (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $70K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Set and Exhibit Designers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Set and Exhibit Designers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $105K | +40% | 2,690 |
| Maryland | $81K | +7% | 420 |
| Washington | $77K | +3% | 170 |
| District of Columbia | $77K | +2% | 190 |
| New Jersey | $76K | +2% | 220 |
| Massachusetts | $75K | -1% | 230 |
| Nebraska | $74K | -2% | 50 |
| Indiana | $72K | -4% | 110 |
| Georgia | $67K | -11% | 310 |
| Minnesota | $66K | -12% | 150 |
| Oregon | $63K | -17% | 280 |
| Florida | $61K | -19% | 740 |
| Connecticut | $61K | -19% | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | $60K | -21% | 120 |
| Virginia | $59K | -22% | 120 |
| Texas | $57K | -24% | 210 |
| Ohio | $55K | -27% | 290 |
| Kentucky | $53K | -29% | 40 |
| Missouri | $52K | -31% | 290 |
| Michigan | $51K | -32% | 140 |
| Nevada | $51K | -32% | 180 |
| Iowa | $51K | -33% | 60 |
| North Carolina | $49K | -34% | N/A |
| Arizona | $46K | -38% | 70 |
| Utah | $45K | -41% | 340 |
| Arkansas | $39K | -49% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 26 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track set and exhibit designers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a set and exhibit designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 39.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for set and exhibit designers in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new set and exhibit designers typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,621/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 50% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is set and exhibit designer a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $51K here vs. $75K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for set and exhibit designers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — below the national median.
How much do set and exhibit designers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $50,640 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,680, and experienced set and exhibit designers can clear $70,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,356/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 39.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a set and exhibit designers salary go in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median set and exhibit designers salary is worth about $55,224 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do set and exhibit designers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.