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Lighting technician: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$68,060median pay per year, or $32.72 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $42,310lowest 10% earn less
  2. $52,77025th percentile
  3. $68,060median
  4. $95,64075th percentile
  5. $130,760top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Lighting technicians had a median pay of $68,060 a year in May 2025[1]. Employment is projected to fall 4.8% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
-4.8%[2]
Openings per year
600[5]
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award[6]

How much do lighting technicians make?

The median wage for Lighting Technicians was $68,060 a year, or $32.72 an hour, in May 2025[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The average was higher at $78,380 a year, or $37.68 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[4].

The range is wide. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,310 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $130,760[3]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentiles, not a starting salary[8].

Percentile Annual wage Hourly wage
10th[3][9] $42,310 $20.34
25th[3][9] $52,770 $25.37
Median[1] $68,060 $32.72
75th[3][9] $95,640 $45.98
90th[3][9] $130,760 $62.87

These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed and do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[10].

Pay by state and city

Washington had the highest median at $126,100, but that rests on only 80 jobs[11]. California followed at $94,070, then New Jersey at $87,550, New York at $78,000 and Connecticut at $72,450[11]. BLS published state data for 27 states[11].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim had the highest median at $105,010[12]. New York-Newark-Jersey City came next at $87,510, then Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford at $79,380[12].

California had the most jobs at 2,950, ahead of New York at 780 and Florida at 600[13]. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim led the metro areas with 2,040 jobs[14]. New York-Newark-Jersey City had 720 and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas had 380[14].

Show median pay in 27 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Washington[11]$126,10080
California$94,0702,950
New Jersey$87,550340
New York$78,000780
Connecticut$72,45080
Georgia$70,150260
Oklahoma$67,11060
Louisiana$66,84040
Florida$62,190600
Nevada$61,250390
Tennessee$60,870280
Virginia$60,340190
Michigan$60,210230
Massachusetts$60,110n/a
Oregon$57,900180
Pennsylvania$57,660100
Ohio$54,940260
Montana$54,87050
Texas$53,150210
Indiana$50,080190
Nebraska$49,860n/a
North Carolina$49,410n/a
Maryland$49,080130
Utah$49,080120
Kansas$48,790n/a
South Carolina$46,72060
Missouri$41,90090

How to become a lighting technician

BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical education for entry, with short-term on-the-job training and no related work experience[6]. The details below come from a BLS profile that covers broadcast, sound and video technicians, a wider group than lighting technicians[15].

Experience in a school audiovisual department can also help[20]. In that profile, the education needed for lighting and related technicians ranges from a high school diploma up to a college degree, depending on the job[21].

What lighting technicians do

O*NET describes the job as setting up, maintaining and taking down lights, controls and the related electrical and rigging gear for photography, television, film, video and live productions[22]. Common tasks include:

Where they work

Technicians in the wider profile usually work inside studios for radio, television, film or recording. They also set up systems in places such as offices, arenas, hotels and schools, and may work outdoors on location[24]. Setting up equipment may involve heavy lifting[25]. Most work full time, and evening, weekend and holiday work is common[26]. Those on motion pictures may work extra hours to meet contract deadlines[27]. About 12.2% of lighting technicians were self-employed in 2025[28].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of Lighting Technicians to fall 4.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 9,900 to 9,400 jobs[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same period[29]. These counts include self-employed workers[2], so they differ from the 8,900 wage and salary jobs counted in May 2025[30].

BLS names productivity change as a factor. Technology, including artificial intelligence systems, lets workers design and run lighting displays[31].

About 600 openings a year are projected on average[5]. Openings count jobs freed when people retire or switch occupations as well as newly created jobs[5]. Each year, 2.3% of workers leave the labor force and 4.8% move to a different occupation[32].

Is it a good fit?

Median pay is above the all-occupation median, and BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award with short-term on-the-job training as the typical path[1][4][6]. Pay differs sharply by place, with state medians from $41,900 in Missouri to $126,100 in Washington[11]. The outlook is the main caution, since employment is projected to decline while some openings still appear each year[2][5]. O*NET says the job supports live productions[22], and in the wider profile evening, weekend and holiday work is common[26].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[33].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a lighting technician make an hour?
The median was $32.72 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $37.68[1][7].
What education do you need to be a lighting technician?
BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry education[6]. The wider profile says the education needed ranges from a high school diploma up to a college degree, depending on the job[21].
Is lighting technician work in demand?
BLS projects a 4.8% decline from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% growth for all occupations[2][29]. About 600 openings a year are still expected[5].
What is the highest paying state for lighting technicians?
Washington had the highest median at $126,100, based on 80 jobs[11]. California was next at $94,070[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Lighting Technicians in the US was $68,060 per year and $32.72 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Lighting Technicians is projected to decline 4.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 9,900 to 9,400 jobs (a change of -500). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Lighting Technicians: 10th percentile $42,310, 25th percentile $52,770, 75th percentile $95,640, 90th percentile $130,760. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 600 openings for Lighting Technicians are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Lighting Technicians: education needed for entry: Postsecondary nondegree award; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Lighting Technicians was $78,380 per year and $37.68 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Lighting Technicians: 10th percentile $20.34, 25th percentile $25.37, 75th percentile $45.98, 90th percentile $62.87. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Median annual wage for Lighting Technicians in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Lighting Technicians (areas with at least 100 jobs): Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $105,010; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $87,510; Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $79,380; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $74,000; Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $72,790; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $70,150; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $63,090; Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $62,790. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Lighting Technicians jobs: California 2,950; New York 780; Florida 600; Nevada 390; New Jersey 340. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Lighting Technicians jobs: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,040 (median $105,010); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 720 (median $87,510); Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 380 (median $61,250); San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 320 (median $74,000); Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 240 (median $79,380); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 200 (median $70,150). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Broadcast, Sound, and Video Technicians" covers Lighting Technicians together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  16. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Other Experience. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. O*NET description of Lighting Technicians. O*NET OnLine
  23. O*NET task list for Lighting Technicians. O*NET OnLine
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. BLS Employment Projections: 12.2% of Lighting Technicians were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  29. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  30. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 8,900 people were employed as Lighting Technicians in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  31. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Lighting Technicians: Productivity change - share decreases as technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) systems, allows workers to design and operate lighting displays. BLS Employment Projections
  32. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Lighting Technicians: 2.3% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.8% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  33. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.