Lighting Technicians
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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 16 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 4.8% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 5.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Broadcast, sound, and lighting technicians”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 11.1 hires for every 10 job openings in arts, entertainment, and recreation, which employs about 28% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.11.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $94,070 | $61,040 to $109,560 | 2,950 |
| Colorado | not published | not published | 150 |
| Connecticut | $72,450 | $65,170 to $93,630 | 80 |
| Florida | $62,190 | $48,380 to $81,030 | 600 |
| Georgia | $70,150 | $61,790 to $98,590 | 260 |
| Illinois | not published | not published | 160 |
| Indiana | $50,080 | $43,630 to $73,310 | 190 |
| Kansas | $48,790 | $44,620 to $64,230 | not published |
| Louisiana | $66,840 | $42,300 to $108,160 | 40 |
| Maryland | $49,080 | $42,660 to $71,220 | 130 |
| Massachusetts | $60,110 | $57,160 to $65,050 | not published |
| Michigan | $60,210 | $60,210 to $60,210 | 230 |
| Missouri | $41,900 | $35,040 to $64,820 | 90 |
| Montana | $54,870 | $53,540 to $56,350 | 50 |
| Nebraska | $49,860 | $49,860 to $49,860 | not published |
| Nevada | $61,250 | $45,990 to $80,190 | 390 |
| New Jersey | $87,550 | $86,190 to $102,980 | 340 |
| New York | $78,000 | $55,290 to $105,660 | 780 |
| North Carolina | $49,410 | $49,410 to $62,400 | not published |
| Ohio | $54,940 | $47,360 to $58,900 | 260 |
| Oklahoma | $67,110 | $53,160 to $83,800 | 60 |
| Oregon | $57,900 | $51,820 to $78,000 | 180 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,660 | $47,440 to $71,920 | 100 |
| Puerto Rico | $38,400 | $36,490 to $44,870 | not published |
| South Carolina | $46,720 | $44,160 to $49,840 | 60 |
| Tennessee | $60,870 | $45,400 to $82,920 | 280 |
| Texas | $53,150 | $38,450 to $64,890 | 210 |
| Utah | $49,080 | $40,650 to $65,580 | 120 |
| Virginia | $60,340 | $44,610 to $64,320 | 190 |
| Washington | $126,100 | $92,510 to $136,150 | 80 |
Nationally: $68,060. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 3 of its 16 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Assess safety of wiring or equipment set-up to determine the risk of fire or electrical shock. | Not published |
| AI + software | Consult with lighting director or production staff to determine lighting requirements. | Not published |
| Not much | Disassemble and store equipment after performances. | Not published |
| Not much | Install color effects or image patterns, such as color filters, onto lighting fixtures. | Not published |
| Not much | Install electrical cables or wire fixtures. | Not published |
| Not much | Load, unload, or position lighting equipment. | Not published |
See all 16 tasks
| AI + software | Match light fixture settings, such as brightness and color, to lighting design plans. | Not published |
| Not much | Notify supervisors when major lighting equipment repairs are needed. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate manual or automated systems to control lighting throughout productions. | Not published |
| Not much | Patch or wire lights to dimmers or other electronic consoles. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform minor repairs or routine maintenance on lighting equipment, such as replacing lamps or damaged color filters. | Not published |
| Not much | Program lighting consoles or load automated lighting control systems onto consoles. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up and focus light fixtures to meet requirements of television, theater, concerts, or other productions. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up scaffolding or cranes to assist with setting up of lighting equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Test lighting equipment function and desired lighting effects. | Not published |
| AI + software | Visit and assess structural and electrical layout of locations before setting up lighting equipment. | Not published |
O*NET hasn't rated these tasks, so they're in O*NET's own order. 0 of the 16 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 16 tasks fall under 16 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #25 Communicate with others about specifications or project details
- #31 Program computer systems or production equipment
- #44 Gather data about operational or development activities
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set up equipment | |||
| Communicate with others about specifications or project details | |||
| Program computer systems or production equipment | |||
| Gather data about operational or development activities | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Set up computer systems, networks, or other information systems | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools |
Show all 16 activities
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Operate audiovisual or related equipment | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Repair electrical or electronic equipment | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Install commercial or production equipment | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for lighting technicians specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 534 moves out
- 1 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 19%
- 2 Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians High +3.1% 11%
- 3 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Very high -5.6% 6%
- 4 Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators Very high -5.5% 6%
- 5 Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary Very high -0.3% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 309 moves in
- 1 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 13%
- 2 Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators Very high -5.5% 6%
- 3 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 5%
- 4 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Very high -5.6% 4%
- 5 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 3%
The resume data uses 2010 occupation codes. This occupation comes from “Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other”, which today also includes the occupation still called “Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other”, so these figures cover it too. Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 3% less than high school
- 18% high school
- 27% some college
- 11% associate's
- 33% bachelor's
- 7% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Broadcast, sound, and lighting technicians” · 1,307 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Broadcast, sound, and lighting technicians”
2 programs: Photographic and Film/Video Technology/Technician and Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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