# 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.

- **SOC code:** 27-4015.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-4015-00
- **Also known as:** Controls Technician (Controls Tech), Dimmer Board Operator, Electrical Lighting Technician (ELT), Entertainment Lighting Technician, Entertainment Professional, Gaffer, Lamp Operator, Light Technician (Light Tech)
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- 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.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Skills in demand:**
- 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:**
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Autodesk AutoCAD _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Project _(hot technology)_
- FileMaker Pro
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Programmable logic controller PLC software
- Rockwell RSLogix
- SAP Maintenance

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 50th percentile (Moderate) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 29th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 70th percentile (High) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** -4.6% growth (Declining); 0.8k annual openings; 12.1k → 11.5k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $60,560; 10,130 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-4015-00_