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Set and Exhibit Designers

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media · SOC 27-1027

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$75,240
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
1,500
Proj. Annual Openings
10,630
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-2.1%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 27-1027 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
49/100
Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$75,240
H-1B offered wage $69,923; LCAs are filings.
Projected openings
1,500
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +2.3%.
Observed/proxy demand
17
FY2025 certified LCAs; 2,054 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingOperations Analysis

Transition context

  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure18.3%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

33.8%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI39.1%
AI ability · AIOE62.4%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne0.5%

AI could do ~39.1% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.

Top Skills

1.Reading Comprehension
2.Active Listening
3.Speaking
4.Critical Thinking
5.Operations Analysis

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.

142
Decade Total (Certified LCAs)
17
FY2025 Volume
0% of all H-1B filings in FY2025
$69,923
Median Offered Wage (Latest Year)
#305 of 776
Rank by Total Volume
H-1B filing volume, FY2016–FY2025

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

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.

Common titles: Designer, Display Coordinator, Exhibit Coordinator, Exhibit Designer, Exhibit Preparator, Historical Society Window Dresser

Representative Tasks

  • 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.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Develop artistic or design concepts for decoration, exhibition, or commercial purposes.
  • Draw detailed or technical illustrations.
  • Determine technical requirements of productions or projects.
  • Study scripts to determine project requirements.
  • Present work to clients for approval.

Tools & Technologies

Adobe Creative Cloud software · hotAdobe Illustrator · hotAdobe Photoshop · hotAutodesk AutoCAD · hotAutodesk Revit · hotAdobe After Effects · hotDassault Systemes SolidWorks · hotMicrosoft Access · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotOracle Database · hot

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

15
Occupations Shown
17.7%
Avg AI Exposure
3
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 27-1027: 2019 — employment: 12,040, median wage: $54,600; 2020 — employment: 10,980, median wage: $58,180; 2021 — employment: 6,850, median wage: $54,860; 2022 — employment: 9,490, median wage: $59,990; 2023 — employment: 10,090, median wage: $59,490; 2025 — employment: 10,630, median wage: $75,240.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%18.3%
OutlookAverage18% Bright
Median Salary$75,240N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A