Graphic Designers vs Set and Exhibit Designers: $63K vs $75K Median Pay

Graphic Designers vs Set and Exhibit Designers: what changes?

Consider Graphic Designers if you want to design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. 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 Graphic Designers 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

Graphic Designers

National median pay (2025): $62,960
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: Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 16,000

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 1.7% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Graphic Designers 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

Graphic Designers has the edge on annual openings

Graphic Designers is at 16,000 annual openings, compared with 2,200 annual openings for Set and Exhibit Designers.

Set and Exhibit Designers has the edge on projected growth

Set and Exhibit Designers is at 1.4% projected growth, compared with -1.7% projected growth for Graphic Designers.

Set and Exhibit Designers has the edge on median pay

Set and Exhibit Designers is at $75,240, compared with $62,960 for Graphic Designers.

Typical preparation differs.

Graphic Designers: 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.

47.8/ 100

Graphic Designers

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

Graphic Designers vs Set and Exhibit Designers

Dimension	Graphic Designers	Set and Exhibit Designers
Median pay (2025)	$62,960	$75,240
Pay percentile	53.8 percentile	65.1 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	-1.7%	1.4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	16,000	2,200
2025 employment	253,100	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.

Read Graphic Designers brief Read Set and Exhibit Designers brief

Graphic Designers vs Set and Exhibit Designers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Graphic Designers

Set and Exhibit Designers

How the national numbers differ

Graphic Designers has the edge on annual openings

Set and Exhibit Designers has the edge on projected growth

Set and Exhibit Designers has the edge on median pay

Typical preparation differs.

Graphic Designers vs Set and Exhibit Designers

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