Set and Exhibit Designers pay range in Washington
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,490 a year or less, while the top 10% make $118,290 or more. The middle half of set and exhibit designers in Washington earn between $63,600 and $104,330.
- $47K10th
- $64K25th
- $83KMedian
- $104K75th
- $118K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $84,350 | $7,029 | $40.55 |
| Median | $82,960 | $6,913 | $39.88 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $63,600 | $5,300 | $30.58 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $104,330 | $8,694 | $50.16 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Set and Exhibit Designers salary after taxes in Washington
On the average salary of $84,350, a single filer in Washington takes home about $63,969 a year, or $5,331 a month and $2,460 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% of gross pay.
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in WV | $65,196 | $5,433 |
| Working in MD | $64,375 | $5,365 |
| Working in VA | $64,134 | $5,345 |
| Working in DC | $63,969 | $5,331 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Washington a good place for set and exhibit designers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Washington area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.9), so the average $84,350 buys what about $77,468 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Washington ($71,060). A typical home costs $583,013, or 6.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Set and Exhibit Designers salary in nearby metro areas
- Baltimore, MD$78,680
- Richmond, VA$56,800
- Philadelphia, PA$62,990
- New York, NY$102,670
- Cleveland, OH$53,980
- Columbus, OH$60,110
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 Washington: questions
How much do set and exhibit designers make an hour in Washington?
$40.56 an hour on average, and $39.88 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level set and exhibit designers salary in Washington?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,490 a year and the 25th percentile is $63,600, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the set and exhibit designers take-home pay in Washington?
About $63,969 a year ($5,331 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $84,350.
Do set and exhibit designers earn more in Washington than elsewhere?
The average here is 5% 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (47900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.2%.
- 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.94, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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