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Lighting Technicians Salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton

SOC 27-4015 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · BLS OEWS May 2025

Median Annual Salary
$60,112
$28.90/hr
11.7% lower than the US national median ($68,058)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Lighting Technicians salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$54K
P25$58K
P50$60K
P75$66K
P90$83K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
🔥
Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- professional & business services job openings are running at 5.5% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $60,112 to $65,853 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Lighting Technicians pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

BLS's May 2025 median estimate for this role is 12.4% above its May 2024 estimate. A swing that large usually reflects survey sampling or classification changes between OEWS vintages rather than actual pay changes, so lean on the sector wage-growth benchmark (2.5% per year, BLS ECI) for planning.

Hiring demand · HOT

Professional & Business Services is running a 5.5% job-openings rate with quits at 2.2% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.2% down to 5.5%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 3.1 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 2.5% per year. Nationally, wages rose 3.2% while CPI hit 3.5%, so real wages turned negative.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Lighting Technicians in Boston-Cambridge-Newton is $60,112 per year ($28.90/hr). This is 11.7% lower than the national median of $68,058.

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.

Wage Percentiles: Boston-Cambridge-Newton

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salaryvs National
P10Entry level$25.97$54,018+27.7%
P25$28.08$58,406+10.7%
P50MEDIAN$28.90$60,112-11.7%
P75$31.66$65,853-31.1%
P90Top earners$39.75$82,680-36.8%
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Lighting Technicians
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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 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 512100
2K$109,560
Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only)
NAICS 5320A1
860$59,830
Wage range across top 5 industries: $59,830 to $109,560 (83% spread)
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median lighting technicians salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?

The median (P50) annual salary for Lighting Technicians in Boston-Cambridge-Newton is approximately $60,112, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 11.7% lower than the national median of $68,058. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.

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About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 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.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

About CompSignal

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.

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