Leads the grip department on film and TV sets, rigging camera support, dollies and the equipment that shapes and blocks light. 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
Key Grip 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: Grip, Best Boy Grip, Dolly Grip, Rigging Grip, Company Grip.
Pay
How much do Lighting Technicians make?
Every key grip 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 Key Grip 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 Key Grip
No degree is required. Grips usually learn on independent films, commercials and music videos, working as day players and building knowledge of stands, rigging hardware, knots and camera support equipment. Experience with dollies, cranes and car mounts is built over years.
In Los Angeles, grips are represented by IATSE Local 80, and other regions have their own IATSE locals. Union entry requires qualifying work days and safety training through programs such as the Contract Services Administration Trust Fund, and many key grips are known for specialties such as camera cars or large rigs.
- 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 Key Grip do?
Grips handle the non-electrical side of lighting and the rigging that supports the camera. The key grip runs the department, working with the cinematographer and gaffer to shape light with flags, nets, silks and overhead frames, and with the camera team to mount cameras on dollies, cranes, cars and custom rigs.
The key grip plans each setup, assigns tasks to the best boy grip, dolly grip and crew, and is responsible for rigging safety, including anything hung overhead or attached to a vehicle. Dolly grips specialize in pushing the camera dolly smoothly and hitting precise marks in sync with actors, a skill that strongly affects how a shot looks.
Day-to-day tasks
- Plan rigging and light-shaping setups with the cinematographer
- Set flags, silks, nets and overhead frames
- Mount cameras on dollies, cranes and vehicles
- Lay dolly track and level it for smooth moves
- Direct the grip crew and assign tasks
- Inspect rigging for safety and load limits
- Order and maintain grip equipment
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Grip work is physically demanding: lifting heavy equipment, building rigs, climbing and working at height, indoors and outdoors in all conditions. Shoot days are long, and work is project-based with travel to locations. Crews often travel together from show to show.
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 Key Grip?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RCA) built on O*NET's Lighting Technician profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Key Grip |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| 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
- Conventional4.8
- Artistic3.4
- 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 Key Grip
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
- Key Grip$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 |
| Key Grip | $68,060 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Key Grip appears on
Questions
Key Grip: 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 Key Grip?
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 Key Grip 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 Key Grip do?
Grips handle the non-electrical side of lighting and the rigging that supports the camera. A typical task: plan rigging and light-shaping setups with the cinematographer. 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 Key Grip?
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.