Film Career · Set Decorator
Head Set Decorator
Set Decorator · IATSE Local 44 and craft locals
- Union
- IATSE Local 44 and craft locals
- Day rate
- ~$2,800–$6,500/wk
- Experience
- 8–18+ yrs
What does a Head Set Decorator do?
A head set decorator leads within the set decorator department, answering for its output while managing the people and logistics behind it.
On union productions the position falls under IATSE Local 44 and craft locals, which sets the rates, hours, and conditions the role works within. Like every set decorator role, the job is hired production by production, and repeat work comes from department heads who trust the name on the call sheet.
What does a Head Set Decorator make?
- This is a department-head chair, toward the top of its department's range.
- Set decoration is paid weekly: roughly $2,800-$6,500 a week (scale around $2,900-$3,400), or roughly $100K-$250K a year (IATSE Local 44 and craft locals).
Film work is gig based, so crew are paid a day or weekly rate rather than a salary. These are realistic 2024-2025 ranges grounded in union rate cards and industry data; actual pay swings with budget tier, market, overtime, and reputation.
Sources & how we estimate pay
Union scale is the floor; the ranges above also reflect market day rates above scale. They are grounded in the following 2024–2025 sources:
Union rate cards & wage schedules
Official guild scale — the floor each craft is paid from.
- IATSE — 2024 Basic Agreement wage scales (PDF) ↗
- IATSE Local 600 (International Cinematographers Guild) — camera rate cards ↗
- DGA — minimum salary rate cards (director, unit production manager, assistant directors) ↗
- WGA — schedule of minimums (writers) ↗
- SAG-AFTRA — theatrical & background rate sheets (cast, stunts, background) ↗
- Teamsters Local 399 — basic feature wage rates, 2024–27 (transportation, locations, wranglers) (PDF) ↗
You’ll like and be good at this job if:
Hard skills
- You know decorating craft, sourcing, and budgets
Soft skills
- You can lead a crew, hold a budget, and answer for the department
- You make decisions calmly and own the results
The ladder
Related chairs in this craft family, ordered from entry toward leadership:
- 1Assistant Set Decorator
- 2Set Decorator
- 3Lead Set Decorator
- 4Chief Set Decorator
- 5Head Set Decorator (this role)
- 6Key Set Decorator
Career progression
Within this craft family the recognized progression runs from assistant set decorator toward key set decorator, with each step earned through set time and the trust of the chairs above. Where this role sits on that ladder is less important than how the set decorator department works: people move up when the department already believes they can do the next job.
A typical path, from entry to the top of the craft. Times are rough and vary by market, luck, and how steadily the work comes.
~$50K–$450K+/yr
~$100K–$250K/yr
~$100K–$250K/yr
~$100K–$250K/yr
- Head Set Decoratoryou are here
~$100K–$250K/yr
~$100K–$250K/yr
How do you become a Head Set Decorator?
The path here is internal: the set decorator department promotes this position from within, based on a track record built in its junior chairs. Start at the department's entry level and let the work argue for you.
On covered productions, rates, hours, and conditions for the role are set by IATSE Local 44 and craft locals contracts.
Covered by a union? The joining a film union guide explains how each one takes members.