Film and Video Editors vs Set and Exhibit Designers: Similar Median Pay, Different Work

Film and Video Editors vs Set and Exhibit Designers: what changes?

Consider Film and Video Editors if you want to edit moving images on film, video, or other media. Consider Set and Exhibit Designers if you would rather design special exhibits and sets for film, video, television, and theater productions. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Film and Video Editors and Set and Exhibit Designers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Film and Video Editors

National median pay (2025): $75,420
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 3,100

Know before you choose

Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.

See the full Film and Video Editors brief

Set and Exhibit Designers

National median pay (2025): $75,240
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,200

Know before you choose

Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.

See the full Set and Exhibit Designers brief

How the national numbers differ

Film and Video Editors has the edge on projected growth

Film and Video Editors is at 3.7% projected growth, compared with 1.4% projected growth for Set and Exhibit Designers.

Typical preparation differs.

Film and Video Editors: Bachelor's degree Set and Exhibit Designers: Bachelor's degree Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Film and Video Editors has the edge on annual openings

Film and Video Editors is at 3,100 annual openings, compared with 2,200 annual openings for Set and Exhibit Designers.

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Compare actual offers, expected paid hours, schedule, and benefits before treating either career as the higher-paying option.

51/ 100

Film and Video Editors

40/ 100

Set and Exhibit Designers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Film and Video Editors vs Set and Exhibit Designers

Dimension	Film and Video Editors	Set and Exhibit Designers
Median pay (2025)	$75,420	$75,240
Pay percentile	65.4 percentile	65.1 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	3.7%	1.4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	3,100	2,200
2025 employment	39,400	31,600
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree	Bachelor's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

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Film and Video Editors vs Set and Exhibit Designers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Film and Video Editors

Set and Exhibit Designers

How the national numbers differ

Film and Video Editors has the edge on projected growth

Typical preparation differs.

Film and Video Editors has the edge on annual openings

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Film and Video Editors vs Set and Exhibit Designers

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