Lighting Technicians Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for lighting technicians in the U.S. is $68,060 ($32.72 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $68,060
- Mean annual wage
- $78,380
- Median hourly wage
- $32.72
- Employment
- 8,900
8,900 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,310 | $20.34 |
| 25th percentile | $52,770 | $25.37 |
| Median (50th) | $68,060 | $32.72 |
| 75th percentile | $95,640 | $45.98 |
| 90th percentile | $130,760 | $62.87 |
Highest-paying states for lighting technicians
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $126,100 | 80 |
| California | $94,070 | 2,950 |
| New Jersey | $87,550 | 340 |
| New York | $78,000 | 780 |
| Connecticut | $72,450 | 80 |
| Georgia | $70,150 | 260 |
| Oklahoma | $67,110 | 60 |
| Louisiana | $66,840 | 40 |
| Florida | $62,190 | 600 |
| Nevada | $61,250 | 390 |
Lowest-paying states
- Missouri: $41,900 median annual wage
- South Carolina: $46,720 median annual wage
- Kansas: $48,790 median annual wage
- Utah: $49,080 median annual wage
- Maryland: $49,080 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Postsecondary certificate
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 2.8% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 14.8% |
| Some college, no degree | 27.7% |
| Associate's degree | 11.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 35.6% |
| Master's degree | 6.4% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 1.1% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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- Audio and Video Technicians$58,100
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.