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The differences between light technicians and stage 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 a stage technician. Additionally, a light technician has an average salary of $40,111, which is higher than the $40,047 average annual salary of a stage technician.
The top three skills for a light technician include ladders, hand tools and light fixtures. The most important skills for a stage technician are video equipment, venues, and audio equipment.
| Light Technician | Stage Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $40,111 | $40,047 |
| Hourly rate | $19.28 | $19.25 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 31,530 | 30,456 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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.
A stage technician is part of the production and technical side of a stage play performance. The stage technician's job is to work alongside the floor director and the props team in the set up of the stage before a performance and packing it up afterward. Alongside this main role, a stage technician also serves as one of the people involved in the set up of props, lighting, stage equipment, sound placements, and other technical issues needed for a stage performance.
Light technicians and stage technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Light Technician | Stage Technician | |
| Average salary | $40,111 | $40,047 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $56,000 | Between $27,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Reno, NV |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | BlackRock | General Electric |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Technology |
There are a few differences between a light technician and a stage technician in terms of educational background:
| Light Technician | Stage Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Photography | Theatre |
| Most common college | New Mexico State University | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between light technicians' and stage technicians' demographics:
| Light Technician | Stage Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.6% Female, 13.4% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| 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, 9.6% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |