Lighting Technicians
Lighting Technicians (SOC 27-4015) earn a median $68,060 a year ($32.72 an hour) in the United States, with 8,900 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What lighting technicians do
Lighting technicians set up, maintain, and take down lighting fixtures, lighting controls, and the electrical and rigging equipment that goes with them, for photography, television, film, video, and live productions. They may focus or operate light fixtures, or attach color filters and other lighting accessories. O*NET lists no core tasks for this code, so the description rests on the SOC definition and the alternate titles, which include gaffer, dimmer board operator, lamp operator, lighting controls technician, and entertainment lighting technician. The title lighting designer also appears in that list. Audio and video technicians, who handle sound and video equipment, are excluded and counted in a separate occupation. The definition covers installation, maintenance, and removal, so the job spans the full life of a lighting setup, from rigging through takedown.
Also called: Dimmer Board Operator, Electrical Lighting Technician, Entertainment Lighting Technician, Gaffer, Lamp Operator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $20.34 | $25.37 | $32.72 | $45.98 | $62.87 | $37.68 | 8,900 |
| Annual | $42,310 | $52,770 | $68,060 | $95,640 | $130,760 | $78,380 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where lighting technicians earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $35.09 | $44.48 | $60.63 | $65.46 | $84.14 | $61.81 | 80 | 0.02 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $72,980 | $92,510 | $126,100 | $136,150 | $175,010 | $128,570 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $24.48 | $29.34 | $45.22 | $52.67 | $76.74 | $44.83 | 2,950 | 0.16 | 2.83 |
| Annual | $50,910 | $61,040 | $94,070 | $109,560 | $159,610 | $93,240 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $30.40 | $41.44 | $42.09 | $49.51 | $52.59 | $43.70 | 340 | 0.08 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $63,220 | $86,190 | $87,550 | $102,980 | $109,380 | $90,900 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $25.00 | $26.58 | $37.50 | $50.80 | $63.94 | $41.35 | 780 | 0.08 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $52,000 | $55,290 | $78,000 | $105,660 | $133,000 | $86,010 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $29.44 | $31.33 | $34.83 | $45.01 | $48.07 | $37.44 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $61,230 | $65,170 | $72,450 | $93,630 | $99,990 | $77,880 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $24.48 | $29.34 | $45.22 | $52.67 | $76.74 | $44.83 | 2,950 | 0.16 | 2.83 |
| Annual | $50,910 | $61,040 | $94,070 | $109,560 | $159,610 | $93,240 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $25.00 | $26.58 | $37.50 | $50.80 | $63.94 | $41.35 | 780 | 0.08 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $52,000 | $55,290 | $78,000 | $105,660 | $133,000 | $86,010 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $18.54 | $23.26 | $29.90 | $38.96 | $40.33 | $31.20 | 600 | 0.06 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $38,550 | $48,380 | $62,190 | $81,030 | $83,890 | $64,900 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $12.00 | $22.11 | $29.45 | $38.56 | $43.67 | $29.77 | 390 | 0.25 | 4.44 |
| Annual | $24,960 | $45,990 | $61,250 | $80,190 | $90,830 | $61,920 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $30.40 | $41.44 | $42.09 | $49.51 | $52.59 | $43.70 | 340 | 0.08 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $63,220 | $86,190 | $87,550 | $102,980 | $109,380 | $90,900 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $35.09 | $49.95 | $60.63 | $69.51 | $84.14 | $63.01 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $72,980 | $103,890 | $126,110 | $144,570 | $175,010 | $131,060 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $25.14 | $37.87 | $50.49 | $52.67 | $77.17 | $48.65 | 2,040 | 0.33 | 5.69 |
| Annual | $52,300 | $78,770 | $105,010 | $109,560 | $160,510 | $101,180 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $25.37 | $31.01 | $42.07 | $52.59 | $63.96 | $44.43 | 720 | 0.08 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $52,770 | $64,510 | $87,510 | $109,380 | $133,050 | $92,420 | ||||
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | Hourly | $21.17 | $28.49 | $38.17 | $39.00 | $39.00 | $32.93 | 240 | 0.17 | 2.99 |
| Annual | $44,040 | $59,260 | $79,380 | $81,120 | $81,120 | $68,490 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $26.58 | $32.48 | $35.58 | $49.78 | $66.60 | $43.08 | 320 | 0.14 | 2.36 |
| Annual | $55,290 | $67,550 | $74,000 | $103,530 | $138,520 | $89,610 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $25.14 | $37.87 | $50.49 | $52.67 | $77.17 | $48.65 | 2,040 | 0.33 | 5.69 |
| Annual | $52,300 | $78,770 | $105,010 | $109,560 | $160,510 | $101,180 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $25.37 | $31.01 | $42.07 | $52.59 | $63.96 | $44.43 | 720 | 0.08 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $52,770 | $64,510 | $87,510 | $109,380 | $133,050 | $92,420 | ||||
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | Hourly | $12.00 | $22.11 | $29.45 | $38.56 | $44.00 | $29.88 | 380 | 0.33 | 5.81 |
| Annual | $24,960 | $45,990 | $61,250 | $80,190 | $91,520 | $62,150 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $26.58 | $32.48 | $35.58 | $49.78 | $66.60 | $43.08 | 320 | 0.14 | 2.36 |
| Annual | $55,290 | $67,550 | $74,000 | $103,530 | $138,520 | $89,610 | ||||
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | Hourly | $21.17 | $28.49 | $38.17 | $39.00 | $39.00 | $32.93 | 240 | 0.17 | 2.99 |
| Annual | $44,040 | $59,260 | $79,380 | $81,120 | $81,120 | $68,490 | ||||
Top industries employing lighting technicians
Motion Picture and Video Industries employ 22.9% of lighting technicians nationally (2,040 jobs) at a median $109,560 a year ($52.67 an hour), followed by Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) (9.7%) and Performing Arts Companies (7.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motion Picture and Video Industries NAICS 512100 | 2,040 | 22.9% | $109,560 | $52.67 |
| Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) NAICS 5320A1 | 860 | 9.7% | $59,830 | $28.76 |
| Performing Arts Companies NAICS 711100 | 690 | 7.8% | $52,770 | $25.37 |
| Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events NAICS 711300 | 630 | 7.1% | $63,700 | $30.63 |
| Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers NAICS 711500 | 610 | 6.9% | $61,890 | $29.75 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (8,900). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $51,470 for lighting technicians in May 2021 and $68,060 in May 2025, with employment of 4,280 and 8,900.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $51,470 | $24.75 | 4,280 |
| May 2022 | $61,650 | $29.64 | 8,540 |
| May 2023 | $62,240 | $29.92 | 9,520 |
| May 2024 | $60,560 | $29.11 | 10,130 |
| May 2025 | $68,060 | $32.72 | 8,900 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
29 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $60.63 | $126,100 | $72,980 | $175,010 | 80 | 0.02 | 0.40 |
| 2 | California profile | $45.22 | $94,070 | $50,910 | $159,610 | 2,950 | 0.16 | 2.83 |
| 3 | New Jersey profile | $42.09 | $87,550 | $63,220 | $109,380 | 340 | 0.08 | 1.39 |
| 4 | New York profile | $37.50 | $78,000 | $52,000 | $133,000 | 780 | 0.08 | 1.41 |
| 5 | Connecticut profile | $34.83 | $72,450 | $61,230 | $99,990 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.81 |
| 6 | Georgia profile | $33.73 | $70,150 | $48,240 | $123,020 | 260 | 0.05 | 0.94 |
| 7 | Oklahoma profile | $32.27 | $67,110 | $40,960 | $134,480 | 60 | 0.03 | 0.58 |
| 8 | Louisiana profile | $32.14 | $66,840 | $39,050 | $108,190 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.40 |
| 9 | Florida profile | $29.90 | $62,190 | $38,550 | $83,890 | 600 | 0.06 | 1.05 |
| 10 | Nevada profile | $29.45 | $61,250 | $24,960 | $90,830 | 390 | 0.25 | 4.44 |
| 11 | Tennessee profile | $29.27 | $60,870 | $43,140 | $137,190 | 280 | 0.09 | 1.50 |
| 12 | Virginia profile | $29.01 | $60,340 | $29,360 | $75,000 | 190 | 0.05 | 0.82 |
| 13 | Michigan profile | $28.95 | $60,210 | $50,070 | $60,210 | 230 | 0.05 | 0.91 |
| 14 | Massachusetts profile | $28.90 | $60,110 | $52,890 | $82,680 | ** | ** | ** |
| 15 | Oregon profile | $27.84 | $57,900 | $46,800 | $101,820 | 180 | 0.09 | 1.63 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania profile | $27.72 | $57,660 | $37,780 | $95,180 | 100 | 0.02 | 0.29 |
| 17 | Ohio profile | $26.41 | $54,940 | $34,820 | $78,640 | 260 | 0.05 | 0.81 |
| 18 | Montana profile | $26.38 | $54,870 | $51,310 | $66,040 | 50 | 0.09 | 1.64 |
| 19 | Texas profile | $25.55 | $53,150 | $36,050 | $68,850 | 210 | 0.02 | 0.26 |
| 20 | Indiana profile | $24.08 | $50,080 | $35,800 | $147,400 | 190 | 0.06 | 1.06 |
| 21 | Nebraska profile | $23.97 | $49,860 | $47,890 | $78,500 | ** | ** | ** |
| 22 | North Carolina profile | $23.76 | $49,410 | $40,080 | $63,360 | ** | ** | ** |
| 23 | Maryland profile | $23.60 | $49,080 | $39,030 | $100,990 | 130 | 0.05 | 0.85 |
| 24 | Utah profile | $23.60 | $49,080 | $32,160 | $69,770 | 120 | 0.07 | 1.19 |
| 25 | Kansas profile | $23.46 | $48,790 | $41,570 | $69,800 | ** | ** | ** |
| 26 | South Carolina profile | $22.46 | $46,720 | $34,120 | $59,990 | 60 | 0.03 | 0.48 |
| 27 | Missouri profile | $20.14 | $41,900 | $31,200 | $120,690 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.54 |
| – | Colorado profile | * | * | * | * | 150 | 0.05 | 0.91 |
| – | Illinois profile | * | * | * | * | 160 | 0.03 | 0.47 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (27-4010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 27-4015 Lighting Technicians.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 27-4015, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 27-4015.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.