Leads the lighting and electrical crew on a film or TV set, executing the cinematographer's lighting plan safely. BLS does not publish separate figures for lighting technicians; it counts them within lighting technician (SOC 27-4015), whose median pay is $68,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 27-4015
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Chief Lighting Technician in four numbers
- Median pay
- $68,060a year, or $32.72/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $42KTop 10% $131K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -4.8%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−4.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −4.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 6009,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20259.9K
- Projected 20359.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 9.9K Projected 2035 9.4K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Film Gaffer, Set Gaffer, Lighting Gaffer, Best Boy Electric, Set Lighting Technician.
Pay
How much do Lighting Technicians make?
Every chief lighting technician in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$68,060
Middle half earn $52,770 to $95,640
- 10th
- $42,310
- 25th
- $52,770
- 75th
- $95,640
- 90th
- $130,760
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $42,310 |
| 25th | $52,770 |
| Median | $68,060 |
| 75th | $95,640 |
| 90th | $130,760 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $68,060
- Median hourly wage
- $32.72/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $78,380
- People employed
- 8,900
Versus all US occupations
At $68,060, Lighting Technicians earn 34% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $17,080 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
The median is typical for the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $130,760 or more while the bottom 10% earn $42,310, a gap of 3.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 43% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $126,100, and still leads at $117,836 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Lighting Technicians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $126,100 | $117,836 | 80 |
| 2California | $94,070 | $84,962 | 2,950 |
| 3New Jersey | $87,550 | $80,465 | 340 |
| 4New York | $78,000 | $72,275 | 780 |
| 5Connecticut | $72,450 | $69,926 | 80 |
| 6Georgia | $70,150 | $72,851 | 260 |
| 7Oklahoma | $67,110 | $76,398 | 60 |
| 8Louisiana | $66,840 | $75,776 | 40 |
| 9Florida | $62,190 | $60,137 | 600 |
| 10Nevada | $61,250 | $61,263 | 390 |
Job outlook
Is Chief Lighting Technician a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -4.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Lighting Technicians | −4.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Lighting Technicians to change -4.8% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 500 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 600 openings are projected each year, 6.1% of the 9,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Chief Lighting Technician
There is no degree requirement. Most gaffers start as set lighting technicians or electricians on student films, commercials and independent features, learning equipment, electrical theory and set etiquette, then move up to best boy electric before running their own crews.
In Los Angeles, set lighting technicians and gaffers are represented by IATSE Local 728, which offers safety and technical training, and other regions have their own IATSE locals. Union entry typically requires qualifying days and safety courses, and a strong grasp of electrical codes is essential.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Chief Lighting Technician do?
The chief lighting technician, universally called the gaffer, heads the set lighting department. They translate the cinematographer's ideas into a practical plan: which lights go where, how bright, what color and how they are powered. Before shooting they scout locations to plan generators, cable runs and rigging, and order the equipment package.
On set, the gaffer works beside the director of photography, calling instructions to the best boy and electricians, adjusting fixtures, diffusion and color gels, and programming LED lights through wireless control. They are responsible for electrical safety across the set, including power distribution, tie-ins and working near water or in bad weather.
Day-to-day tasks
- Plan lighting setups with the director of photography
- Scout locations for power sources and rigging needs
- Order lighting and electrical equipment packages
- Direct the best boy and electricians in placing fixtures
- Control light with diffusion, flags and color gels
- Manage power distribution and electrical safety
- Program and adjust LED fixtures through wireless control
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Gaffers work long shoot days on stages and locations in all weather, often twelve hours or more. The job is physical, with lifting, climbing and moving heavy equipment. Work is project-based and can involve travel for location shoots.
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Industrial control software
- Internet browser software
- Program testing software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Chief Lighting Technician?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RAC) built on O*NET's Lighting Technician profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Chief Lighting Technician |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional4.6
- Artistic3.6
- Investigative2.0
- Enterprising1.9
- Social1.2
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Chief Lighting Technician
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Construction and Extraction
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Electrical and Electronics Installer and Repairer, Transportation Equipment
$84,890median a year
Most earn $51K to $117K
+5.4%Certificate - Architecture and Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologist and Technician
$78,190median a year
Most earn $50K to $116K
+2.4%Associate's - Production
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assembler
$45,930median a year
Most earn $35K to $63K
+4.6%Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed - Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Electrical and Electronics Repairer, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
$74,090median a year
Most earn $47K to $106K
+0.3%Certificate
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with lighting technicians highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Chief Lighting Technician$68,060
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Chief Lighting Technician | $68,060 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Chief Lighting Technician appears on
Questions
Chief Lighting Technician: frequently asked questions
How much do Lighting Technicians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for lighting technicians. It counts them within lighting technician, whose median pay is $68,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $52,770 and $95,640, and the top 10% earn $130,760 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Chief Lighting Technician?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Lighting Technicians. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Chief Lighting Technician a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 4.8% over 2025–2035, a loss of 500 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Chief Lighting Technician do?
The chief lighting technician, universally called the gaffer, heads the set lighting department. A typical task: plan lighting setups with the director of photography. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Lighting Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Lighting Technicians are Washington ($126,100), California ($94,070), New Jersey ($87,550) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Chief Lighting Technician?
O*NET scores Lighting Technicians highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Artistic interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.