Set and Exhibit Designers Salary
The median pay for a set and exhibit designers in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is $86,880/year ($41.77/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $175K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $77,186 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,910/month, about 53.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $87K get you in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City
New York-Newark-Jersey City sits well above the national pay line for set and exhibit designers, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $75K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,910/month, which is 53.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for set and exhibit designers in metros near New York-Newark-Jersey City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $75K | $69K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $60K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level set and exhibit designers (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $87K. Top earners bring in $175K or more, a $112K 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 with published data
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 New York-Newark-Jersey City numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a set and exhibit designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $87K, rent takes 53.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new set and exhibit designers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,767/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 77% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $87K here vs. $75K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 13% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for set and exhibit designers?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $87K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $77K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do set and exhibit designers make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $86,880 a year, that works out to about $42 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,790, and experienced set and exhibit designers can clear $175,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $87K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,444/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 53.5% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median set and exhibit designers salary is worth about $77,186 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.