What does a light technician do?

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.
Light technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real light technician resumes:
- Maintain and manage multiple stages: FOH mix, monitor mix, and video presentation editing mix.
- Provide support for the engineering, furnishing, and installation of classify and unclassify video teleconferencing systems and video distribution systems.
- Communicate with other departments and coordinators to maintain order.
Light technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Light Technicians are proficient in Ladders, Hand Tools, and Light Fixtures. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Computer skills, and Manual dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Light Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Ladders, 14%
Involved a great deal of heavy lifting and often involved working on ladders at tall heights.
- Hand Tools, 9%
Repaired electrical equipment utilizing hand tools, power tools, testing, and diagnostic equipment.
- Light Fixtures, 9%
Retrofitted and installed cost-efficient light fixtures with fluorescent, incandescent or high-intensity discharge lamps.
- OSHA, 9%
Completed many OSHA safety courses for on the job and electrical safety.
- A/V, 6%
Diagnosed, troubleshoot, and corrected any problems encountered in the setup and/or operation of all A/V equipment.
- Video Equipment, 5%
Set up, breakdown and operation of sound, lighting and video equipment for Special Events, Concerts and Conferences.
Most light technicians use their skills in "ladders," "hand tools," and "light fixtures" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential light technician responsibilities here:
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a light technician to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "technicians need to communicate with supervisors and coworkers to ensure that clients’ needs are met and that equipment is set up properly before broadcasts, live performances, and presentations." Additionally, a light technician resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "repaired & maintained electrical equipment that provided light, communications & power. "
Computer skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling light technician duties is computer skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "technicians use computer systems to program equipment and edit audio and video recordings." According to a light technician resume, here's how light technicians can utilize computer skills in their job responsibilities: "set up and operate sound equipment -create and install custom lighting systems -work with computer-controlled lighting systems"
Manual dexterity. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of light technicians is manual dexterity. This skill is critical to many everyday light technician duties, as "some technicians set up audio and video equipment and cables, a job that requires a steady hand and good hand-eye coordination." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "sound and light equipment maintenance and repair - developed and implemented a training manual. "
Problem-solving skills. A big part of what light technicians do relies on "problem-solving skills." You can see how essential it is to light technician responsibilities because "technicians need to recognize equipment problems and propose possible solutions to them." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical light technician tasks: "developed personal workflow for operating a lighting console to program light shows debugged & resolved technical issues during planning and production"
The three companies that hire the most light technicians are:
- Orion Lighting8 light technicians jobs
- Live Nation Entertainment6 light technicians jobs
- M.C. Dean6 light technicians jobs
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Light technician vs. Audio visual coordinator
A video coordinator normally works with sports teams to help them curate video footage of their games and training sessions. One important aspect of their job to travel away with the team for their games. Their responsibilities include handling video cameras or equipment, compiling breakdowns of some plays or techniques, and critically analyzing the team's performance to inform future practice sessions and strategy. They may also be expected to help with a few administrative tasks and to help with creating flyers or mailings.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, light technician responsibilities require skills like "ladders," "hand tools," "light fixtures," and "osha." Meanwhile a typical audio visual coordinator has skills in areas such as "audio visual equipment," "store management," "sales floor," and "visual presentation." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Audio visual coordinators tend to reach similar levels of education than light technicians. In fact, audio visual coordinators are 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Light technician vs. Video coordinator
A video production intern is responsible for supporting the digital content production team in creating engaging video content for the target audience of the business or according to a client's specifications and requirements. Video production interns familiarize themselves with the use of various software tools and applications, shadowing tenured video producers on actual applications and media publications. They assist in publishing video content on digital platforms, responding to the viewers' inquiries and concerns. A video production intern must have excellent organizational and creative skills, especially when recommending content that would attract the audience and bring more potential clients.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, light technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "ladders," "hand tools," "light fixtures," and "osha." Meanwhile, a video coordinator has duties that require skills in areas such as "video production," "video content," "ncaa," and "adobe premiere." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Video coordinators earn a lower average salary than light technicians. But video coordinators earn the highest pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $39,767. Additionally, light technicians earn the highest salaries in the hospitality with average pay of $45,296 annually.video coordinators earn higher levels of education than light technicians in general. They're 5.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Light technician vs. Video production internship
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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from light technician resumes include skills like "ladders," "hand tools," "light fixtures," and "osha," whereas a video production internship is more likely to list skills in "video production," "video content," "youtube," and "motion graphics. "
When it comes to education, video production interns tend to earn similar degree levels compared to light technicians. In fact, they're 1.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Light technician vs. Video engineer
Even though a few skill sets overlap between light technicians and video engineers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a light technician might have more use for skills like "ladders," "hand tools," "light fixtures," and "osha." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of video engineers require skills like "cherry pickers," "tcp ip," "mpeg," and "vod. "
The technology industry tends to pay the highest salaries for video engineers, with average annual pay of $117,106. Comparatively, the highest light technician annual salary comes from the hospitality industry.video engineers reach similar levels of education compared to light technicians, in general. The difference is that they're 4.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of light technician
Updated January 8, 2025











