Lighting Technicians

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.2), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.3). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.

Tasks

All 16 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

• Assess safety of wiring or equipment set-up to determine the risk of fire or electrical shock.
• Consult with lighting director or production staff to determine lighting requirements.
• Disassemble and store equipment after performances.
• Install color effects or image patterns, such as color filters, onto lighting fixtures.
• Install electrical cables or wire fixtures.
• Load, unload, or position lighting equipment.
• Match light fixture settings, such as brightness and color, to lighting design plans.
• Notify supervisors when major lighting equipment repairs are needed.
• Operate manual or automated systems to control lighting throughout productions.
• Patch or wire lights to dimmers or other electronic consoles.
• Perform minor repairs or routine maintenance on lighting equipment, such as replacing lamps or damaged color filters.
• Program lighting consoles or load automated lighting control systems onto consoles.
• Set up and focus light fixtures to meet requirements of television, theater, concerts, or other productions.
• Set up scaffolding or cranes to assist with setting up of lighting equipment.
• Test lighting equipment function and desired lighting effects.
• Visit and assess structural and electrical layout of locations before setting up lighting equipment.

Work activities

• Inspect equipment to ensure safety or proper functioning.
• Collaborate with others to determine design specifications or details.
• Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.
• Attach equipment extensions or accessories.
• Install electrical components, equipment, or systems.
• Load materials or equipment.
• Unload materials or equipment.
• Set up still or video cameras or related equipment.
• Calibrate equipment to specifications.
• Notify others of equipment problems.
• Operate control consoles for sound, lighting or video.
• Run wiring to connect equipment.
• Repair electrical equipment.
• Program equipment to perform production tasks.
• Install computer hardware.
• Position safety or support equipment.
• Set up material handling gear or equipment, such as rigging, packaging, or temporary structures.
• Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.
• Gather information about work conditions or locations.

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

• Microsoft Project Specialized Skill
• Microsoft PowerPoint Common Skill
• Microsoft Outlook Common Skill
• Microsoft Excel Common Skill
• Microsoft Access Specialized Skill
• Microsoft Internet Explorer Common Skill
• Project Management Software Specialized Skill
• Presentation Software Specialized Skill
• Industrial Control Software Specialized Skill

Tools & technology

How to get in

Job zone

Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Education

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Typical entry-level education

Postsecondary nondegree award · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement

Related experience

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Preparation level

SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

What to study: Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Interest areas

Work styles

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

Industries that employ this occupation

Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.

Where this work is most concentrated

Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).

Related occupations

Part of the Arts, Entertainment, & Design career cluster.

• Electricians · 47-2111.00 Compare →
• Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment · 49-2093.00 Compare →
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians · 17-3023.00 Compare →
• Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers · 51-2022.00 Compare →
• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment · 49-2094.00 Compare →
• Helpers--Electricians · 47-3013.00 Compare →
• Avionics Technicians · 49-2091.00 Compare →
• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay · 49-2095.00 Compare →
• Maintenance and Repair Workers, General · 49-9071.00 Compare →
• Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles · 49-2096.00 Compare →
• Robotics Technicians · 17-3024.01 Compare →
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers · 51-2011.00 Compare →

Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Lighting Technicians — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-role-27-4015-00,
  title  = {Lighting Technicians},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-4015-00}
}