Set and Exhibit Designers pay range in Boston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,870 a year or less, while the top 10% make $123,320 or more. The middle half of set and exhibit designers in Boston earn between $56,400 and $80,910.
- $52K10th
- $56K25th
- $75KMedian
- $81K75th
- $123K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $76,710 | $6,392 | $36.88 |
| Median | $74,710 | $6,226 | $35.92 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $56,400 | $4,700 | $27.12 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $80,910 | $6,742 | $38.90 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Set and Exhibit Designers salary after taxes in Boston
On the average salary of $76,710, a single filer in Boston takes home about $59,280 a year, or $4,940 a month and $2,280 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in NH | $62,795 | $5,233 |
| Working in MA | $59,280 | $4,940 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Is Boston a good place for set and exhibit designers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Boston area are 8% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.3), so the average $76,710 buys what about $70,853 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Boston ($66,620). A typical home costs $741,868, or 9.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Set and Exhibit Designers salary in nearby metro areas
- New York, NY$102,670
- Philadelphia, PA$62,990
- Baltimore, MD$78,680
- Washington, DC$84,350
- Richmond, VA$56,800
- Cleveland, OH$53,980
Highest-paying cities for set and exhibit designers
Los Angeles, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($113,990).
- Los Angeles, CA$113,990
- San Francisco, CA$112,660
- New York, NY$102,670
- Seattle, WA$95,590
- Washington, DC$84,350
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Set and Exhibit Designers salary in Boston: questions
How much do set and exhibit designers make an hour in Boston?
$36.88 an hour on average, and $35.92 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level set and exhibit designers salary in Boston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,870 a year and the 25th percentile is $56,400, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the set and exhibit designers take-home pay in Boston?
About $59,280 a year ($4,940 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $76,710. Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Do set and exhibit designers earn more in Boston than elsewhere?
The average here is 14% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($88,737).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-1027; area Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (14460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 7.2%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.83, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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