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The differences between light technicians and event technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a light technician and an event technician. Additionally, a light technician has an average salary of $40,111, which is higher than the $35,674 average annual salary of an event technician.
The top three skills for a light technician include ladders, hand tools and light fixtures. The most important skills for an event technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and audio equipment.
| Light Technician | Event Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $40,111 | $35,674 |
| Hourly rate | $19.28 | $17.15 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 31,530 | 17,749 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A light technician is responsible for controlling and setting up all the needed lighting production equipment used in a show or concert. This person acts as an assistant to the lighting engineer or designer who controls and determines what needs to be developed and enhanced. They are the technicians who operate the visual effects, color lights, control switch, reflectors, and dim lights in a live or recorded show. A light technician always keeps the lighting equipment in good shape and condition.
An event technician is someone who ensures that events are held successfully. The event technician handles the audio, video, and other technical aspects of an event. It is through this person that a party is conducted properly. Before the event, the event technician is expected to inspect the location, make plans on setting up the equipment, and ensure that this equipment works during the event and is packed up properly after the event. The event technician should have excellent knowledge in video and audio set up, basic wiring skills, and working knowledge for lighting if required.
Light technicians and event technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Light Technician | Event Technician | |
| Average salary | $40,111 | $35,674 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $56,000 | Between $22,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | BlackRock | - |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between a light technician and an event technician in terms of educational background:
| Light Technician | Event Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Photography | Communication |
| Most common college | New Mexico State University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between light technicians' and event technicians' demographics:
| Light Technician | Event Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.6% Female, 13.4% | Male, 76.2% Female, 23.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 5.1% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |