Prevailing Wage for Set and Exhibit Designers
Prevailing wages for Set and Exhibit Designers under SOC 27-1027 are set by the DOL and vary significantly depending on location and experience. Whether your offer is for an Exhibit Designer, Display Coordinator, or Exhibit Coordinator role, DOL establishes four wage levels, and the floor shifts considerably from one metro to another.
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Level 1 covers entry-level designers with limited experience, typically recent graduates or those new to exhibition or set design in a supervised capacity. Assignments involve routine tasks with close oversight and minimal independent decision-making.
Level 2 applies to qualified designers with a few years of hands-on experience who work with moderate supervision. This is the most common filing level for Set and Exhibit Designers, reflecting roles that require applied design judgment but not senior leadership.
Level 3 covers experienced designers who handle complex projects with substantial autonomy. These professionals typically manage multi-component installations, lead production coordination, or oversee design execution across film, television, theater, or museum environments.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior designers in leadership roles. They set design direction, supervise junior staff, and carry accountability for the conceptual and technical integrity of large-scale exhibits or production sets.
Prevailing Wage for Set and Exhibit Designers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Set and Exhibit Designers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your title maps to SOC 27-1027
Job titles like Exhibit Preparator or Display Coordinator sometimes get filed under interior design or fine arts SOC codes. Verify your employer's LCA uses SOC 27-1027; a misclassified filing could apply a different wage floor that does not reflect Set and Exhibit Designers rates.
Watch for low-paying metros in production-light regions
Markets like Wichita and Salt Lake City carry prevailing wage floors far below national medians for this occupation. If your offer is in one of these metros, the stated salary may clear the local floor while sitting well below what Los Angeles or New York employers typically pay.
Distinguish project fees from base salary on the LCA
Exhibition and set design roles sometimes involve project-based pay structures. DOL's prevailing wage compliance is measured against annualized base salary only. Signing bonuses, per-project fees, or equipment stipends do not count toward meeting the wage floor on an LCA.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with sponsorship history
Entertainment studios, museum groups, and production companies vary widely in how often they sponsor Set and Exhibit Designers. Migrate Mate shows each employer's historical visa sponsorship counts, so you can target companies that have actually sponsored this role before.
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Find Jobs for Set and Exhibit DesignersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 27-1027.00 alongside Set and Exhibit Designers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Designer Prevailing Wage
Designer Prevailing Wage
Designer positions fall under SOC 27-1027.00 (Set and Exhibit Designers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Display Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Display Coordinator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Display Coordinator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-1027.00 (Set and Exhibit Designers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Exhibit Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Exhibit Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Exhibit Coordinator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-1027.00 (Set and Exhibit Designers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Exhibit Designer Prevailing Wage
Exhibit Designer Prevailing Wage
Exhibit Designer positions fall under SOC 27-1027.00 (Set and Exhibit Designers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Exhibit Preparator Prevailing Wage
Exhibit Preparator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Exhibit Preparator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-1027.00 (Set and Exhibit Designers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Historical Society Window Dresser Prevailing Wage
Historical Society Window Dresser Prevailing Wage
Historical Society Window Dresser is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-1027.00 (Set and Exhibit Designers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Installations Designer Prevailing Wage
Installations Designer Prevailing Wage
Installations Designer positions fall under SOC 27-1027.00 (Set and Exhibit Designers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Projection Designer Prevailing Wage
Projection Designer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Projection Designer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-1027.00 (Set and Exhibit Designers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Scenic Designer Prevailing Wage
Scenic Designer Prevailing Wage
Scenic Designer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-1027.00 (Set and Exhibit Designers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Set Designer Prevailing Wage
Set Designer Prevailing Wage
Set Designer positions fall under SOC 27-1027.00 (Set and Exhibit Designers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Set and Exhibit Designers?
DOL derives prevailing wages for Set and Exhibit Designers from Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These surveys collect wage data from employers across hundreds of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. OFLC publishes the results and assigns four wage levels per area. Employers sponsoring H-1B or PERM applicants must pay at least the level that matches the position's duties and required experience.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
DOL's four levels reflect increasing skill and autonomy. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision; Level 2 is qualified with moderate oversight and is the most common filing level for this occupation; Level 3 is experienced with significant independence; Level 4 is fully competent in a senior or lead capacity. Your level should match the actual duties, supervision structure, and experience requirements stated in the job description, not simply your years of experience.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role vary so much by city?
OFLC bases wages on regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so each metropolitan area produces its own wage data for SOC 27-1027. Dense entertainment and production markets like Los Angeles and New York have higher concentrations of exhibit and set design employers, which pushes regional wage medians up. The LCA rule requires employers to use the prevailing wage for the specific worksite location, not a national average, so where you actually work determines the floor.
What happens if a job offer falls below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA or file an H-1B petition if the offered salary is below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location and wage level. USCIS will reject or deny a petition where the LCA wage does not meet DOL's floor. For PERM-based green card filings, OFLC will not certify a labor condition where the offered wage is deficient. The employer must adjust the salary before filing or risk denial.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Set and Exhibit Designers in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 27-1027 wages by metropolitan area. Select the relevant metro, choose the wage level that matches your role's duties, and confirm the figure against your offer. You can cross-reference with O*NET for occupation details. Migrate Mate also lets you filter Set and Exhibit Designers job listings by location and see which employers have a track record of sponsoring the role, helping you identify realistic targets before negotiating.
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