Set and exhibit designers
SOC Code: 27-1027
Set and exhibit designers carries a 36% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $66,280 and +2.3% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 31,300 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 36% AI exposure, Set and exhibit designers sits 1 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 56% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
52/100
Set and exhibit designers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage C+ $66,280
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth D +2.3%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) D 36% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Set and exhibit designers in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's band with mid-pack BLS pace
Set and exhibit designers shares the Bachelor's gate with 178 peer occupations and lands in Average (378 of 832). Neither the rarest nor the most crowded growth shelf - use wage and AI desks on this page for the differentiator.
Where Set and exhibit designers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Set and exhibit designers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
36% Around the middle lower than 44% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Set and exhibit designers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Set and exhibit designers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Set and exhibit designers's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 27-1027) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Set and exhibit designers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Set and exhibit designers. Public companies with meaningful exposure to this occupation, such as Netflix Inc and Walt Disney Co, inherit a share of the same automation risk through their industry classification. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
- 2. Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
- 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.
- 4. Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements.
- 5. Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions.
- 6. Attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets.
- 7. Confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or promotion requirements.
- 8. Research architectural and stylistic elements appropriate to the time period to be depicted, consulting experts for information, as necessary.
- 9. Observe sets during rehearsals in order to ensure that set elements do not interfere with performance aspects such as cast movement and camera angles.
- 10. Collaborate with those in charge of lighting and sound so that those production aspects can be coordinated with set designs or exhibit layouts.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Analysis
- Time Management
- Coordination
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Writing
Knowledge Areas
- Fine Arts
- Design
- Computers and Electronics
- Building and Construction
- History and Archeology
- English Language
- Communications and Media
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Set and exhibit designers?
Set and exhibit designers has an AI exposure score of 36%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Set and exhibit designers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Set and exhibit designers is projected to grow by 2.3% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 31,300 workers.
What skills are needed for Set and exhibit designers?
Key skills for Set and exhibit designers include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Set and exhibit designers earn?
The median annual wage for Set and exhibit designers is $66,280, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Set and exhibit designers?
The typical entry-level education for Set and exhibit designers is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Set and exhibit designers?
Public companies with significant Set and exhibit designers workforce shares include Netflix Inc, Walt Disney Co, Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., among others. These employers are mapped by industry classification (SIC/NAICS) to BLS occupation-industry employment distributions. See the full employer rankings for AI displacement risk grades.
Employers with High AI Exposure in This Occupation Group
Public companies whose industry occupation mix includes a significant share of Set and exhibit designers roles.
| Company | AI Grade | Risk Score |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix Inc | B | 42.4% |
| Walt Disney Co | B | 42.4% |
| Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. | B | 42.4% |
| TKO Group Holdings, Inc. | B | 42.4% |
| Warner Music Group Corp. | B | 42.4% |
| DraftKings Inc. | B | 42.4% |
| Liberty Live Holdings, Inc. | B | 42.4% |
| Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. | B | 42.4% |
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Set and exhibit designers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (36% here).
- Amusement and recreation attendants · AI exposure 36%
- Communications teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 36%
- Computer network support specialists · AI exposure 36%
- Computer numerically controlled tool operators · AI exposure 36%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+2.3% here).
- Agricultural workers, all other · growth +2.3%
- Concierges · growth +2.3%
- First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers · growth +2.3%
- Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers · growth +2.3%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 26 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Set and exhibit designers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Set and exhibit designers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).