Lighting designer demographics and statistics in the US
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Lighting designer demographics by:
Lighting designer gender statistics
35.0% of lighting designers are women and 65.0% of lighting designers are men.
- Male, 65.0%
- Female, 35.0%
Lighting designer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 65.0% |
| Female | 35.0% |
Lighting designer gender pay gap
Women earn 90¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$56,154
Female income
$50,504
Lighting designer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in lighting designer positions over time. Currently, 35.0% of lighting designers are female.
Lighting designer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 48.85% | 51.15% |
| 2011 | 49.11% | 50.89% |
| 2012 | 48.29% | 51.71% |
| 2013 | 50.76% | 49.24% |
| 2014 | 48.55% | 51.45% |
| 2015 | 49.30% | 50.70% |
| 2016 | 48.19% | 51.81% |
| 2017 | 47.21% | 52.79% |
| 2018 | 55.00% | 45.00% |
| 2019 | 67.15% | 32.85% |
| 2020 | 65.69% | 34.31% |
| 2021 | 65.00% | 35.00% |
Lighting designer related jobs gender ratio
We compared lighting designers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, exhibit builder and senior industrial designer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Decorating Consultant | 9% | 91% |
| Floral Designer | 11% | 89% |
| Floral Manager | 11% | 89% |
| Lighting Designer | 65% | 35% |
| Craftsman | 88% | 12% |
| Senior Industrial Designer | 91% | 9% |
| Exhibit Builder | 93% | 7% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Lighting designer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among lighting designers is White, which makes up 76.7% of all lighting designers. Comparatively, 10.1% of lighting designers are Asian and 7.3% of lighting designers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 76.7%
- Asian, 10.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.3%
- Unknown, 4.5%
- Black or African American, 1.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Lighting designer race
| Lighting designer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 76.7% |
| Asian | 10.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.3% |
| Unknown | 4.5% |
| Black or African American | 1.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Lighting designer race and ethnicity over time
See how lighting designer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Lighting designer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 80.32% | 3.37% | 6.45% | 8.15% |
| 2011 | 79.15% | 3.38% | 7.00% | 8.33% |
| 2012 | 78.60% | 3.42% | 6.69% | 9.26% |
| 2013 | 79.01% | 3.39% | 7.37% | 8.05% |
| 2014 | 78.43% | 3.15% | 7.37% | 8.85% |
| 2015 | 77.58% | 3.31% | 7.11% | 9.89% |
| 2016 | 77.09% | 3.54% | 7.72% | 9.34% |
| 2017 | 77.04% | 3.17% | 8.01% | 9.29% |
| 2018 | 68.47% | 1.48% | 13.79% | 11.82% |
| 2019 | 73.68% | 1.56% | 12.45% | 10.90% |
| 2020 | 73.69% | 2.05% | 8.19% | 10.92% |
| 2021 | 76.67% | 1.12% | 10.07% | 7.28% |
Lighting designer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian lighting designers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino lighting designers have the lowest average salary at $54,230.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $55,138 |
| White | $55,801 |
| Black or African American | $55,072 |
| Asian | $60,763 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $54,230 |
Lighting designer age breakdown
The average age of lighting designers is 40+ years years old, representing 46% of the lighting designer population.
Lighting designer age breakdown
| Lighting Designer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 46% |
| 30-40 years | 34% |
| 20-30 years | 20% |
Lighting designer educational attainment
The most common degree for lighting designers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of lighting designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Associate, 13%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Lighting designers by degree level
| Lighting designer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 69% |
| Associate | 13% |
| Master's | 8% |
| High School Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Lighting designer jobs you might like
Lighting designer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, lighting designers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $71,804 annually. With a Master's degree, lighting designers earn a median annual income of $64,868 compared to $59,194 for lighting designers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $64,868 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $59,194 |
| Doctorate Degree | $71,804 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,413 |
Lighting designer employment statistics
Most lighting designers work for a private in the education industry.
Company size where lighting designers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where lighting designers work.
Lighting designer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 14% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 22% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 25% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 20% |
| > 10,000 employees | 10% |
Lighting designer jobs by company type
Employees with the lighting designer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most lighting designers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Lighting designer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 22% |
| Public | 8% |
| Private | 69% |
| Government | 1% |
Lighting designer jobs by industry
The most common industries for lighting designers are education, professional and media.
Lighting designer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 18% |
| Professional | 17% |
| Media | 11% |
| Manufacturing | 11% |
| Retail | 6% |
| Non Profits | 6% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Government | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Lighting designer turnover and employment statistics
Lighting designer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for lighting designers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Lighting designer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Lighting designer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.84% |
| 2011 | 7.82% |
| 2012 | 7.12% |
| 2013 | 5.32% |
| 2014 | 4.78% |
| 2015 | 4.60% |
| 2016 | 4.15% |
| 2017 | 3.61% |
| 2018 | 3.35% |
| 2019 | 0.61% |
| 2020 | 4.03% |
| 2021 | 8.44% |
Average lighting designer tenure
The average lighting designer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,712 lighting designers resumes in Zippia's database.
Lighting designer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 28% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 14% |
Lighting designer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of lighting designers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Lighting Designer | 7.73% | - |
| Worship Arts Director | 11.32% | 6,807 |
| Set Designer | 12.35% | 49,102 |
| Creative Specialist | 13.05% | 29,855 |
| Florist Designer | 14.26% | 43,831 |
| Senior Merchandiser | 16.91% | 65,852 |
| Fashion Show Director | 17.98% | 7,493 |
Similar lighting designer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Worship Arts Director | 11.32% | 6,807 |
| Set Designer | 12.35% | 49,102 |
| Creative Specialist | 13.05% | 29,855 |
| Florist Designer | 14.26% | 43,831 |
| Senior Merchandiser | 16.91% | 65,852 |
| Fashion Show Director | 17.98% | 7,493 |
Foreign languages spoken by lighting designers
The most common foreign language among lighting designers is Spanish at 40.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.7% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 9.7%.
- Spanish, 40.3%
- French, 16.7%
- Chinese, 9.7%
- Mandarin, 6.9%
- Japanese, 5.6%
- Other, 20.8%
Lighting designer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 40.3% |
| French | 16.7% |
| Chinese | 9.7% |
| Mandarin | 6.9% |
| Japanese | 5.6% |
| Other | 20.8% |
