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The national median salary for Lighting Technicians is $60,549 per year ($29.11/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $47,112 and $83,346 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $117,686 per year. There are approximately 10,130 lighting technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-4.6%
Slower than average
Annual openings
800
per year, on avg
Workforce today
12K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 512100
3K
$101,490
Performing Arts Companies
NAICS 711100
840
$47,850
Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only)
NAICS 5320A1
680
$52,000
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events
NAICS 711300
650
$59,810
Specialized Design Services
NAICS 541400
600
$60,960
Wage range across top 5 industries: $47,850 to $101,490 (112% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.47
$36,338
P25
$22.65
$47,112
P50MEDIAN
$29.11
$60,549
P75
$40.07
$83,346
P90
$56.58
$117,686
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average lighting technicians salary?
The national median salary for Lighting Technicians is $60,549 per year ($29.11/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $47,112 and $83,346 annually.
How much do top-earning lighting technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Lighting Technicians is $117,686 per year ($56.58/hr). The 75th percentile is $83,346 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for lighting technicians?
Entry-level Lighting Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $36,338 per year ($17.47/hr). The 25th percentile is $47,112 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.