Set and exhibit designers evaluate scripts or objects to be shown, work with directors and curators on the audience, design sets or exhibit spaces that tell a story within a budget and location, prepare drawings by hand or with computer aided design (CAD) programs, prepare budgets and coordinate with the design team.
The short answer: low exposure, with slow growth. The ILO's 2025 index rates the closest groups at minimal exposure, 0.37 for interior designers and decorators and 0.35 for product and garment designers. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 1 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, slower than average, with about 2,200 openings a year, and says growth will be dampened by technological advancements. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed set and exhibit designers are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Interior Designers and Decorators | Minimal exposure | 0.37 |
| Product and Garment Designers | Minimal exposure | 0.35 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so these are the closest groups for set and exhibit designers, not a score for the job title itself.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Set and exhibit designers | Grow 1% | About 2,200 |
The BLS says employment growth of set and exhibit designers is projected to be dampened by technological advancements. Still, it says set designers are required in the entertainment industry for projects such as scenery for a live-action movie or a historical play. Most are self-employed freelancers contracted by theater companies, museums, television and film studios and other entertainment industries.
Where AI is helping
- Producing quick concept images and mood boards for discussion.
- Researching periods, places and styles, with sources to check.
- Drafting budgets and schedules.
What stays with set and exhibit designers
- Storytelling: designing a space that serves the script or the exhibit.
- Collaboration: working with directors, curators and the design team.
- Real-world limits: fitting a design to the budget and the location.
- Checking AI help: generated images and research can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
The BLS expects slow growth, held back by technology, with continued need for sets in film and theater. Designers who use digital tools while owning the story, the budget and the build stay useful to the productions that hire them. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also AI and unions (what the film and TV crew agreement says about AI), will AI replace interior designers?, will AI replace art directors? and will AI replace producers and directors?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for set and exhibit designers at $75,240 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: bachelor's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace set designers?
The BLS projects 1 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,200 openings a year, and says growth will be dampened by technological advancements.
How exposed are set and exhibit designers to AI?
The closest ILO groups score 0.37 and 0.35, both minimal exposure.
Who hires set and exhibit designers?
The BLS says most are freelancers contracted by theater companies, museums, film and television studios and other entertainment industries.
What do set and exhibit designers do?
They evaluate scripts or objects, design sets or exhibit spaces, prepare drawings and budgets and coordinate with the design team.