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The differences between light technicians and studio 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 studio technician. Additionally, a light technician has an average salary of $40,111, which is higher than the $32,545 average annual salary of a studio technician.
The top three skills for a light technician include ladders, hand tools and light fixtures. The most important skills for a studio technician are teleprompter, video production, and camera operation.
| Light Technician | Studio Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $40,111 | $32,545 |
| Hourly rate | $19.28 | $15.65 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 31,530 | 13,598 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 studio Technician is in operation to maintain microphones and headsets in the studio. The skills of a Studio Technician are to assess the power, record the multi-track sound, assess sound quality, and understand the latest trends and software used in the studio. They edit the audio footage employing a variety of software equipment.
Light technicians and studio technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Light Technician | Studio Technician | |
| Average salary | $40,111 | $32,545 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $56,000 | Between $21,000 And $48,000 |
| 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 a studio technician in terms of educational background:
| Light Technician | Studio Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Photography | Fine Arts |
| Most common college | New Mexico State University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between light technicians' and studio technicians' demographics:
| Light Technician | Studio Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.6% Female, 13.4% | Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 5.6% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |