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Boston Career Explorer

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

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.

Median pay in Greater Boston
$60,110
$28.90/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
Not published
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−3.8%
10 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Postsecondary nondegree award
plus Short-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$54,020$58,400$60,110$65,860$82,680

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure22 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • GPTs-are-GPTs 22

Observed AI use today: Not published (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is lower. AI tools may help with designing and running lighting displays, which could change how much hands-on programming work is needed. Massachusetts jobs are projected to decline 3.8% from 2024 to 2034. Hanging, rigging, and focusing fixtures and taking down equipment are physical tasks that rely on people.

Likely to change

  • Designing lighting displays
  • Operating and programming lighting controls

Still relies on people

  • Setting up and taking down fixtures and rigging
  • Focusing lights and adding filters by hand

What federal projections say

“Productivity change - share decreases as technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) systems, allows workers to design and operate lighting displays.”
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, factors affecting this job (U.S.)

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

3 programs near Boston

Related occupations

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