The median pay for Lighting Technicians is $68,060 a year ($32.72/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 4.8% through 2035, with about 600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 27-4015
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
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
Pay
How much do Lighting Technicians make?
Every 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 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.
Overall employment of broadcast, sound, and video technicians is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035.
Despite limited employment growth, about 9,800 openings for broadcast, sound, and video technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of broadcast, sound, and video technicians varies by occupation (see table).
Getting in
How to become a Lighting Technician
Broadcast, sound, and video technicians typically need postsecondary education. Depending on the work they do, educational requirements may vary.
- 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.
Full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entryThe work
What does a Lighting Technician do?
Set up, maintain, and dismantle light fixtures, lighting control devices, and the associated lighting electrical and rigging equipment used for photography, television, film, video, and live productions. May focus or operate light fixtures, or attach color filters or other lighting accessories.
Broadcast, sound, and video technicians set up, operate, and maintain the electrical equipment for radio programs, television broadcasts, concerts, sound recordings, and movies.
Day-to-day tasks
- Assess safety of wiring or equipment set-up to determine the risk of fire or electrical shock.
- Consult with lighting director or production staff to determine lighting requirements.
- Disassemble and store equipment after performances.
- Install color effects or image patterns, such as color filters, onto lighting fixtures.
- Install electrical cables or wire fixtures.
- Load, unload, or position lighting equipment.
- Match light fixture settings, such as brightness and color, to lighting design plans.
- Notify supervisors when major lighting equipment repairs are needed.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Technicians usually work full time. They may occasionally work overtime to meet broadcast deadlines or set up for live events. Evening, weekend, and holiday work is common because most radio and television stations are on the air 24 hours a day.
Technicians who work on motion pictures may be on a tight schedule and may work additional hours to meet contract deadlines with the movie studio.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition.
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 Lighting Technician?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Lighting Technician |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 4 |
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
- Conventional4.1
- Artistic2.4
- 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 Lighting Technician
O*NET related occupations
- 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 - Construction and Extraction
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
- 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 |
| Lighting Technician | $68,060 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within lighting technician
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Lighting Technician appears on
Questions
Lighting Technician: frequently asked questions
How much do Lighting Technicians make?
Lighting Technicians earn a median of $68,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 34% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $32.72/hr. The middle half earn between $52,770 and $95,640. The top 10% earn $130,760 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a 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 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 Lighting Technician do?
Broadcast, sound, and video technicians set up, operate, and maintain the electrical equipment for radio programs, television broadcasts, concerts, sound recordings, and movies. A core O*NET task: assess safety of wiring or equipment set-up to determine the risk of fire or electrical shock. 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 Lighting Technician?
O*NET scores Lighting Technicians highest on the Realistic and Conventional 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.