Set Designer job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Set and Exhibit Designers

O*NET-SOC 27-1027.00

Preparation

Job Zone 5 of 5

extensive preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$75,240

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Set and Exhibit Designers (O*NET-SOC 27-1027.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Set Designer” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report), O*NET job-incumbent data, the SOC Index and employer job postings). Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations. importance 4.9 of 5
2. Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed. importance 4.8 of 5
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. importance 4.8 of 5
4. Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements. importance 4.8 of 5
5. Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions. importance 4.6 of 5
6. Attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets. importance 4.6 of 5
7. Confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or promotion requirements. importance 4.5 of 5
8. Research architectural and stylistic elements appropriate to the time period to be depicted, consulting experts for information, as necessary. importance 4.4 of 5
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. importance 4.4 of 5
10. Collaborate with those in charge of lighting and sound so that those production aspects can be coordinated with set designs or exhibit layouts. importance 4.3 of 5
11. Select set props, such as furniture, pictures, lamps, and rugs. importance 4.2 of 5
12. Design and build scale models of set designs, or miniature sets used in filming backgrounds or special effects. importance 4.0 of 5
13. Examine objects to be included in exhibits to plan where and how to display them. importance 3.8 of 5
14. Assign staff to complete design ideas and prepare sketches, illustrations, and detailed drawings of sets, or graphics and animation. importance 3.8 of 5
15. Inspect installed exhibits for conformance to specifications and satisfactory operation of special-effects components. importance 3.8 of 5
16. Estimate set- or exhibit-related costs, including materials, construction, and rental of props or locations. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Thinking Creatively, Getting Information, Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates and Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Direct and coordinate construction, erection, or decoration activities to ensure that sets or exhibits meet design, budget, and schedule requirements.
• Coordinate the transportation of sets that are built off-site, and coordinate their setup at the site of use.
• Confer with conservators to determine how to handle an exhibit's environmental aspects, such as lighting, temperature, and humidity, so that objects will be protected and exhibits will be enhanced.
• Select and purchase lumber and hardware necessary for set construction.
• Arrange for outside contractors to construct exhibit structures.
• Incorporate security systems into exhibit layouts.

Knowledge areas: Fine Arts, Design, Computers and Electronics, Building and Construction and History and Archeology.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Microsoft Excel. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 5 of 5 (extensive preparation). Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

In O*NET's data, “bachelor's degree” and “master's degree” were reported equally often (33% each) by O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation, so no single level is the most common.

Job title: Set Designer
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Set Designer to design special exhibits and sets for film, video, television, and theater productions.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in reading comprehension, active listening and operations analysis
- Working knowledge of Fine Arts and Design
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud software or Adobe Illustrator]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For Set and Exhibit Designers, the median annual wage was $75,240 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $36.17. BLS estimates about 10,630 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Set and Exhibit Designers to grow 1.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,200 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real set designer posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only set designer work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (reading comprehension and active listening): a real situation, what you did and what changed.