Lighting Technicians
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.
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Lighting Technicians. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $42,310 | $20.34 |
| 25th | $52,770 | $25.37 |
| 50th · Median | $68,060 | $32.72 |
| 75th | $95,640 | $45.98 |
| 90th | $130,760 | $62.87 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
Expand more title examples (14)
Typical 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.
Expand more tasks (10)
- Match light fixture settings, such as brightness and color, to lighting design plans.
- Notify supervisors when major lighting equipment repairs are needed.
- Operate manual or automated systems to control lighting throughout productions.
- Patch or wire lights to dimmers or other electronic consoles.
- Perform minor repairs or routine maintenance on lighting equipment, such as replacing lamps or damaged color filters.
- Program lighting consoles or load automated lighting control systems onto consoles.
- Set up and focus light fixtures to meet requirements of television, theater, concerts, or other productions.
- Set up scaffolding or cranes to assist with setting up of lighting equipment.
- Test lighting equipment function and desired lighting effects.
- Visit and assess structural and electrical layout of locations before setting up lighting equipment.
Skills used in this work
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