truest.me
Explore CareersSponsor Someone 🎁Log InSign Up
truest.me
AboutCareer Growth ToolsWays to access truestPricingSponsor people/teamsWho is truest for
Terms of useContactPrivacy policytruest is a public benefit company
Copyright © 2026, Truest.me. All rights reserved.
Browse Careers
Career Explorer →
Tracks
See all →
Admin & OfficeAgricultureArts & MediaBusiness OperationsConstructionEducationEngineeringExecutive LeadershipFacilitiesFinanceFood ServiceHealthcareHuman ResourcesLegalMaintenance & RepairMarketingOperationsPersonal CareProductionProtective ServicesReal EstateSalesScienceSocial ServicesTechnologyTransportation
Top industries
See all →
HealthcareAdministrative ServicesK-12 SchoolsHospitality & Food ServiceHospital SystemsRetailWholesale & DistributionCatering & Mobile Food ServicesProfessional ServicesHospitals & Medical CentersEducationRestaurants & DiningGovernmentManufacturingAmbulatory Healthcare ServicesAdministrative Support ServicesConstructionFinancial ServicesGeneral Merchandise StoresColleges & UniversitiesConsumer ServicesLocal Government ServicesFull-Service RestaurantsSpecialty Trade ContractorsTransportation & LogisticsReal Estate Services
Top metros
See all →
New York-NewarkLos Angeles-Long BeachChicago-NapervilleDallas-Fort WorthHouston-PasadenaWashington-ArlingtonAtlanta-Sandy SpringsPhiladelphia-CamdenMiami-Fort LauderdaleBoston-CambridgeSan Francisco-OaklandPhoenix-MesaSeattle-TacomaMinneapolis-St. PaulDetroit-WarrenRiverside-San BernardinoDenver-AuroraSan Diego-Chula VistaTampa-St. PetersburgOrlando-KissimmeeCharlotte-ConcordBaltimore-ColumbiaSt. LouisAustin-Round RockPortland-VancouverSan Jose-Sunnyvale
Careers›Roles›Installations Designer
Mid-Level

Installations Designer

Some art isn't hung on a wall but built around you, and conceiving and creating those immersive installations and environments is your work, for galleries, events, or public spaces. Where art becomes a space you walk into.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
A
E
R
C
S
I
Artisticcreative, expressive
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Based on Holland Code framework
Industries that often hire Installations Designers
Wholesale & DistributionReal EstateEntertainment & Media · 42%Technology & Information · 29%Administrative Services · 10%Education · 7%
Job markets for Installations Designers
Employment concentration · ~44 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
Arts & Media
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
Jump to:What it's likeCareer pathsBy the numbers
What it's like

What it's like to be a Installations Designer

The work blends concept, design, and hands-on building: developing an idea, planning the space and materials, and fabricating and installing it, often against a hard opening date. You work with clients, fabricators, and venues, and the vision has to survive budget and physics. Much of the craft is problem-solving on the fly when reality fights the concept.

What's stressful is the immovable deadlines and project-based instability: installs converge at once, openings can't slip, and work comes and goes. Budgets are often tight, and you depend on many people delivering. The work spans galleries, events, brands, and public art, each with its own scale and constraints to design around.

It fits someone creative, practical, and calm under deadline chaos. If you want stability or pure artistry without logistics, the practical grind can wear. But if you love making art people physically enter, and the satisfaction of a space coming together, the work tends to be genuinely exciting, project after demanding project.

What people in this role value
AchievementAbove avg
IndependenceAbove avg
Working ConditionsModerate
RecognitionLower
SupportLower
RelationshipsLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

Earning potential across this track
$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
Technology & Information$121K+90%
Energy & Utilities$114K+80%
Professional Services$113K+77%
Financial Services$98K+54%
Wholesale & Distribution$89K+40%
Compared to Arts & Media average across all industries
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Installations Designers (SOC 27-1027.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Related rolesExplore Arts & Media →
Installations DesignerPresentation SpecialistDisplay DesignerRoom DesignerExhibit PreparatorExhibitions CoordinatorFood StylistEvent DesignerEvent DecoratorExhibit DesignerStage Set DesignerExhibit CoordinatorExhibits SpecialistMiniature Set DesignerTheater Set Production DesignerHistorical Society Window Dresser
Exploring the Installations Designer career path? Truest helps you figure out if it's the right fit — and plan your path forward.
Explore career tools
✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$36K–$129K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
11K
U.S. Employment
+2.3%
10yr Growth
3K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$68K$65K$62K$59K$57K201920202021202220232024$57K$68K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingTime ManagementOperations AnalysisSpeakingCoordinationJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem SolvingWriting
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
Mapped SOC Codes
27-1027.00

Explore related roles

Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths

midPresentation Specialist$55KmidDisplay Designer$52KmidRoom Designer$65KmidExhibit Preparator$57KmidExhibitions Coordinator$57KmidFood Stylist$66K
View all Arts & Media roles →

Navigate your career with clarity

Truest gives you tools to understand your strengths, explore roles that fit, and plan your next move.

Explore Truest career tools
Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.