Audio and Video Technicians
Median $58,100
Occupation · SOC 27-4015
Lighting Technicians: pay and where the jobs are
What lighting technicians earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$68,060 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $78,380
- Median hourly wage
- $32.72
- Mean hourly wage
- $37.68
- Employment
- 8,900
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-4015.
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How much do lighting technicians make?
The median annual wage for lighting technicians was $68,060 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,310 and the highest-paid 10% more than $130,760. As an hourly rate, the median is $32.72. About 8,900 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Washington ($126,100), California ($94,070) and New Jersey ($87,550). Washington also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for lighting technicians looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,310 | $20.34 | $3,526 | $3,015 |
| 25th percentile | $52,770 | $25.37 | $4,398 | $3,715 |
| Median | $68,060 | $32.72 | $5,672 | $4,726 |
| 75th percentile | $95,640 | $45.98 | $7,970 | $6,343 |
| 90th percentile | $130,760 | $62.87 | $10,897 | $8,387 |
Lighting Technicians: pay by state
28 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$89,434 take-home in national prices
2
$62,574 take-home in national prices
3
$61,484 take-home in national prices
Where a median lighting technician paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 80 | $126,100 | $72,980 | $175,010 | $95,706 | $89,434 |
| California | 2,950 | $94,070 | $50,910 | $159,610 | $69,282 | $62,574 |
| New Jersey | 340 | $87,550 | $63,220 | $109,380 | $66,476 | $61,097 |
| New York | 780 | $78,000 | $52,000 | $133,000 | $59,720 | $55,337 |
| Connecticut | 80 | $72,450 | $61,230 | $99,990 | $56,202 | $54,243 |
| Georgia | 260 | $70,150 | $48,240 | $123,020 | $55,429 | $57,562 |
| Oklahoma | 60 | $67,110 | $40,960 | $134,480 | $53,567 | $60,981 |
| Louisiana | 40 | $66,840 | $39,050 | $108,190 | $54,233 | $61,484 |
| Florida | 600 | $62,190 | $38,550 | $83,890 | $52,150 | $50,428 |
| Nevada | 390 | $61,250 | $24,960 | $90,830 | $51,394 | $51,405 |
| Tennessee | 280 | $60,870 | $43,140 | $137,190 | $51,089 | $55,610 |
| Virginia | 190 | $60,340 | $29,360 | $75,000 | $48,008 | $47,484 |
| Michigan | 230 | $60,210 | $50,070 | $60,210 | $48,251 | $50,148 |
| Massachusetts | Not published | $60,110 | $52,890 | $82,680 | $47,416 | $44,835 |
| Oregon | 180 | $57,900 | $46,800 | $101,820 | $44,543 | $43,094 |
| Pennsylvania | 100 | $57,660 | $37,780 | $95,180 | $46,699 | $47,861 |
| Ohio | 260 | $54,940 | $34,820 | $78,640 | $45,257 | $48,782 |
| Montana | 50 | $54,870 | $51,310 | $66,040 | $44,446 | $46,961 |
| Texas | 210 | $53,150 | $36,050 | $68,850 | $44,886 | $46,247 |
| Indiana | 190 | $50,080 | $35,800 | $147,400 | $40,971 | $43,900 |
| Nebraska | Not published | $49,860 | $47,890 | $78,500 | $40,853 | $45,341 |
| North Carolina | Not published | $49,410 | $40,080 | $63,360 | $40,418 | $42,849 |
| Maryland | 130 | $49,080 | $39,030 | $100,990 | $39,650 | $37,777 |
| Utah | 120 | $49,080 | $32,160 | $69,770 | $39,996 | $40,456 |
| Kansas | Not published | $48,790 | $41,570 | $69,800 | $39,460 | $43,811 |
| South Carolina | 60 | $46,720 | $34,120 | $59,990 | $38,937 | $41,534 |
| Missouri | 90 | $41,900 | $31,200 | $120,690 | $34,815 | $38,335 |
| Puerto Rico | Not published | $38,400 | $36,490 | $47,210 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-4015. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.