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Best states for a lighting designer
Quoted expert
Nathaniel Walker
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to lighting designer jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for lighting designers. We found that Massachusetts is the best state in the nation for lighting designers, and people in Falmouth earn the most in the field.
Massachusetts is the best state for jobs for lighting designers, and Louisiana is the worst. The most common pay in Massachusetts is $68,566, while the median pay in Louisiana is $38,563.If you are currently seeking employment as a lighting designer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for lighting designers in 2025
1. Massachusetts
Total lighting designer jobs: 613 Average annual salary: $68,566 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.22. Oregon
Total lighting designer jobs: 389 Average annual salary: $62,809 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.693. Washington
Total lighting designer jobs: 705 Average annual salary: $63,276 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.734. Arizona
Total lighting designer jobs: 254 Average annual salary: $63,143 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 0.785. New Mexico
Total lighting designer jobs: 78 Average annual salary: $62,862 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 0.716. California
Total lighting designer jobs: 2,524 Average annual salary: $63,045 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.557. New York
Total lighting designer jobs: 1,123 Average annual salary: $60,349 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.578. Michigan
Total lighting designer jobs: 439 Average annual salary: $56,013 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 1.029. District of Columbia
Total lighting designer jobs: 189 Average annual salary: $60,355 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 2.0210. Pennsylvania
Total lighting designer jobs: 570 Average annual salary: $56,802 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
Lighting designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a lighting designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a lighting designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $68,566 | $43,000 | 6,859,819 | 613 |
| 2 | Oregon | $62,809 | $40,000 | 4,142,776 | 389 |
| 3 | Washington | $63,276 | $42,000 | 7,405,743 | 705 |
| 4 | Arizona | $63,143 | $41,000 | 7,016,270 | 254 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $62,862 | $41,000 | 2,088,070 | 78 |
| 6 | California | $63,045 | $39,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,524 |
| 7 | New York | $60,349 | $37,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,123 |
| 8 | Michigan | $56,013 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 439 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $60,355 | $37,000 | 693,972 | 189 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $56,802 | $35,000 | 12,805,537 | 570 |
| 11 | Kansas | $56,591 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 130 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $57,542 | $35,000 | 1,059,639 | 63 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $58,563 | $36,000 | 3,588,184 | 161 |
| 14 | Idaho | $57,541 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 58 |
| 15 | Maine | $55,664 | $35,000 | 1,335,907 | 64 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $55,061 | $34,000 | 10,273,419 | 490 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $56,377 | $38,000 | 3,004,279 | 85 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $52,343 | $39,000 | 5,576,606 | 368 |
| 19 | Virginia | $55,862 | $34,000 | 8,470,020 | 637 |
| 20 | Vermont | $54,895 | $35,000 | 623,657 | 30 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $56,493 | $35,000 | 9,005,644 | 336 |
| 22 | Illinois | $51,213 | $36,000 | 12,802,023 | 651 |
| 23 | Nevada | $53,265 | $34,000 | 2,998,039 | 76 |
| 24 | Missouri | $52,036 | $36,000 | 6,113,532 | 223 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $51,237 | $37,000 | 1,920,076 | 80 |
| 26 | Indiana | $51,766 | $35,000 | 6,666,818 | 225 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $52,410 | $39,000 | 579,315 | 16 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $51,006 | $34,000 | 6,715,984 | 207 |
| 29 | Texas | $47,939 | $30,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,065 |
| 30 | Ohio | $47,742 | $32,000 | 11,658,609 | 440 |
| 31 | Colorado | $48,397 | $35,000 | 5,607,154 | 326 |
| 32 | Iowa | $48,836 | $35,000 | 3,145,711 | 130 |
| 33 | Utah | $45,167 | $31,000 | 3,101,833 | 200 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $45,437 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 300 |
| 35 | Maryland | $48,031 | $30,000 | 6,052,177 | 330 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $48,835 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 40 |
| 37 | Alabama | $47,313 | $30,000 | 4,874,747 | 156 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $47,156 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 35 |
| 39 | Montana | $47,535 | $36,000 | 1,050,493 | 39 |
| 40 | Delaware | $48,502 | $30,000 | 961,939 | 44 |
| 41 | Florida | $45,923 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 617 |
| 42 | Alaska | $48,051 | $37,000 | 739,795 | 23 |
| 43 | Georgia | $39,949 | $25,000 | 10,429,379 | 671 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | $41,394 | $26,000 | 1,342,795 | 86 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $44,008 | $28,000 | 5,024,369 | 174 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $42,960 | $29,000 | 3,930,864 | 117 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $43,255 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 32 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $43,750 | $29,000 | 4,454,189 | 122 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $46,548 | $35,000 | 1,427,538 | 22 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $42,887 | $27,000 | 2,984,100 | 59 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $38,563 | $24,000 | 4,684,333 | 94 |
Highest paying states for lighting designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Lighting Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $68,566 |
| 2 | Oregon | $62,809 |
| 3 | Washington | $63,276 |
| 4 | Arizona | $63,143 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $62,862 |
| 6 | California | $63,045 |
| 7 | New York | $60,349 |
| 8 | Michigan | $56,013 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $60,355 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $56,802 |
| 11 | Kansas | $56,591 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $57,542 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $58,563 |
| 14 | Idaho | $57,541 |
| 15 | Maine | $55,664 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $55,061 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $56,377 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $52,343 |
| 19 | Virginia | $55,862 |
| 20 | Vermont | $54,895 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $56,493 |
| 22 | Illinois | $51,213 |
| 23 | Nevada | $53,265 |
| 24 | Missouri | $52,036 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $51,237 |
| 26 | Indiana | $51,766 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $52,410 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $51,006 |
| 29 | Texas | $47,939 |
| 30 | Ohio | $47,742 |
| 31 | Colorado | $48,397 |
| 32 | Iowa | $48,836 |
| 33 | Utah | $45,167 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $45,437 |
| 35 | Maryland | $48,031 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $48,835 |
| 37 | Alabama | $47,313 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $47,156 |
| 39 | Montana | $47,535 |
| 40 | Delaware | $48,502 |
| 41 | Florida | $45,923 |
| 42 | Alaska | $48,051 |
| 43 | Georgia | $39,949 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | $41,394 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $44,008 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $42,960 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $43,255 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $43,750 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $46,548 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $42,887 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $38,563 |
Expert opinions on the best states for lighting designers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for lighting designers to find work opportunities?
Nathaniel Walker
Assistant Professor, Stephen F. Austin State University
Given our interior design program is in the state of Texas, graduates have the option of working in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, or Austin markets. The industry is multi-faceted, such that a graduate could choose to work in an interior design firm, work as furniture designers, lighting designers, kitchen & bath designers, exhibition design, and even in architectural offices offering interior design services. If a graduate chooses, there is always the option to relocate to other lucrative markets emphasizing interiors like Las Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, and other metropolitan areas heavy in banking, hospitality, healthcare, and retail design.
Lighting designer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025