Lighting Technicians Salary
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations · 8.9K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$68,060
Median hourly
$33
Average annual
$78,380
Typical range
$42,310–$130,760
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Lighting Technicians is $68,060 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $33 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $42,310 and $130,760 a year. There are roughly 8.9K people employed as lighting technicians in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Lighting Technicians.
- Hourly
- $32.72
- Daily
- $262
- Weekly
- $1,309
- Bi-weekly
- $2,618
- Monthly
- $5,672
- Annual
- $68,060
$68,060 a year is around the 50th percentile for Lighting Technicianss. The median is $68,060.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Washington$126,100
- 2California$94,070
- 3New Jersey$87,550
- 4New York$78,000
- 5Connecticut$72,450
- 6Georgia$70,150
- 7Oklahoma$67,110
- 8Louisiana$66,840
- 9Florida$62,190
- 10Nevada$61,250
- 11Tennessee$60,870
- 12Virginia$60,340
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$126,110
- 2Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$105,010
- 3New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$87,510
- 4Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL$79,380
- 5San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$74,000
- 6Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$72,790
- 7San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$70,970
- 8Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$70,150
- 9Oklahoma City, OK$67,110
- 10Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$67,080
- 11Salt Lake City-Murray, UT$65,590
- 12Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$64,330
Related job titles
Employers advertise Lighting Technicians roles under these titles.
- Electrical Lighting Technician (ELT)
- Entertainment Lighting Technician
- Lamp Operator
- Lighting Controls Technician
- Lighting Operator
- Lighting Technician (Lighting Tech)
- Rigging Electrical Lighting Technician (RELT)
- Set Lighting Technician (Set Lighting Tech)
- Stage Lighting Technician
- Video Lighting Technician
Related occupations
- Electricians$63,190
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment$84,890
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians$73,900
- Helpers--Electricians$42,670
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment$74,090
- Avionics Technicians$82,280
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay$103,020
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Lighting Technicians make?
- The median annual wage for Lighting Technicians is $68,060 ($33 per hour). Pay ranges from about $42,310 at the 10th percentile to $130,760 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Lighting Technicians?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $78,380, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Lighting Technicianss the most?
- Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $126,100.
- Is Lighting Technicians a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 8.9K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.