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The differences between light technicians and video 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 video technician. Additionally, a video technician has an average salary of $45,504, 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 technician are VTC, video equipment, and video production.
| Light Technician | Video Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $40,111 | $45,504 |
| Hourly rate | $19.28 | $21.88 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 31,530 | 36,283 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| 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.
The job of a video technician is to operate, install, maintain and repair video and projection equipment, including digital video cameras, grip kits, and media servers. You will report to a video supervisor, technical director, or stage manager during the show run. You will be responsible for working closely with the projection designer and performing video and audio installations. In addition, you will be operating, configuring, and maintaining satellite communications equipment and associated devices. You will also be responsible for determining equipment capabilities and evaluate setup requirements.
Light technicians and video technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Light Technician | Video Technician | |
| Average salary | $40,111 | $45,504 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $56,000 | Between $30,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Plymouth, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | BlackRock | NTT Data International L.L.C. |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Technology |
There are a few differences between a light technician and a video technician in terms of educational background:
| Light Technician | Video Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Photography | Photography |
| Most common college | New Mexico State University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between light technicians' and video technicians' demographics:
| Light Technician | Video Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.6% Female, 13.4% | Male, 81.5% Female, 18.5% |
| 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, 9.7% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |