Scenic designer vs set decorator

The differences between scenic designers and set decorators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a scenic designer and a set decorator. Additionally, a set decorator has an average salary of $58,487, which is higher than the $54,503 average annual salary of a scenic designer.

The top three skills for a scenic designer include theatre production, CAD and adobe photoshop. The most important skills for a set decorator are art direction, set design, and film production.

Scenic designer vs set decorator overview

	Scenic Designer	Set Decorator
Yearly salary	$54,503	$58,487
Hourly rate	$26.20	$28.12
Growth rate	3%	1%
Number of jobs	43,797	3,544
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 78%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Scenic designer vs set decorator salary

Scenic designers and set decorators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Scenic Designer	Set Decorator
Average salary	$54,503	$58,487
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $87,000	Between $32,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between scenic designer and set decorator education

There are a few differences between a scenic designer and a set decorator in terms of educational background:

	Scenic Designer	Set Decorator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 78%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Theatre	Photography
Most common college	Carnegie Mellon University	Stanford University

Scenic designer vs set decorator demographics

Here are the differences between scenic designers' and set decorators' demographics:

	Scenic Designer	Set Decorator
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1%	Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 11.4% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 11.4% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between scenic designer and set decorator duties and responsibilities

Scenic designer example responsibilities.

Develop marketing and brand awareness initiatives through social media outlets; create and manage company Facebook and Houzz profiles.
Prepare PowerPoint documents for client presentation that include furniture and material selections.
Use architectural and structural-base external reference drawings files as backgrounds for communication, electrical, HVAC mechanical and structural revisions.

Set decorator example responsibilities.

Develop UNIX shell scripts to automate file manipulation and data loading process.
Obtain and distribute costumes, props, music, and studio equipment need to complete productions.
Design, create, and acquire all costumes for actors and extras, within strict budgets, and tight schedules.
Design commercial photography sets base on client marketing parameters and feature products.
Demonstrate skillful communication and negotiation skills.

Scenic designer vs set decorator skills

Common scenic designer skills

Theatre Production, 26%
CAD, 14%
Adobe Photoshop, 10%
Model Building, 8%
Scale Models, 7%
Scene Shop, 6%

Common set decorator skills

Art Direction, 38%
Set Design, 36%
Film Production, 25%

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Scenic Designer vs Set Decorator

Updated January 8, 2025

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