Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between light technicians and video engineers 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 video engineer. Additionally, a video engineer has an average salary of $100,343, which is higher than the $40,111 average annual salary of a light technician.
The top three skills for a light technician include ladders, hand tools and light fixtures. The most important skills for a video engineer are MPEG, VOD, and video equipment.
| Light Technician | Video Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $40,111 | $100,343 |
| Hourly rate | $19.28 | $48.24 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 31,530 | 8,900 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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 video engineer installs and maintains video equipment in a certain location. Video engineers are responsible for operating electronic equipment for television and radio program transmission. They control the audio equipment for volume level regulation and sound quality during broadcasting. The skills necessary for this job include project management, attention to detail, digital video knowledge, technical support, and video systems. They also need knowledge in video networks, Java, video equipment, and Linux.
Light technicians and video engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Light Technician | Video Engineer | |
| Average salary | $40,111 | $100,343 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $56,000 | Between $65,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | BlackRock | ByteDance |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Technology |
There are a few differences between a light technician and a video engineer in terms of educational background:
| Light Technician | Video Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Photography | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | New Mexico State University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between light technicians' and video engineers' demographics:
| Light Technician | Video Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.6% Female, 13.4% | Male, 90.4% Female, 9.6% |
| 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, 10.1% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |