How to hire a lighting designer

How to hire a lighting designer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lighting designer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a lighting designer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lighting designer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a lighting designer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The lighting designer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A lighting designer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, lighting designers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of lighting designers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Lighting Designer	Description	Hourly rate
   Lighting Designer	Industrial designers develop the concepts for manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and toys. They combine art, business, and engineering to make products that people use every day... Show more	$16-39
   Industrial Design Internship	Industrial design interns will assist in developing product ideas while considering other criteria such as engineering, sales, marketing, and production. Interns are also tasked to come up with creative solutions to customer problems and dissatisfied needs, gather data by testing and validating ideas with the consumer research department, and prepare concept renderings with the right resources for marketing and sales presentation uses... Show more	$22-43
   Product Design Internship	Product design interns are students who are doing their on-the-job training under the product design department of an organization. They are usually assigned administrative tasks... Show more	$26-50

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Revit
   • Photoshop
   • Light Fixtures
   • Leed
   • AGI
   • CAD
   • Design Concepts
   • Design Layouts
   • Sketch
   • IES
   • Troubleshoot
   • Construction Administration
   • Design Process
   • Control Systems

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop marketing and brand awareness initiatives through social media outlets; create and manage company Facebook and Houzz profiles.
   • Attend various IES, IALD and W.I.N.D.
   • Involve with leer certified projects.
   • Set up, run and troubleshoot audio/visual/lighting equipment.
   • Operate light equipment, dimmers, control boards.
   • Design stage lighting configurations in google sketch or AutoCAD.

   More lighting designer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lighting designer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A lighting designer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a lighting designer in North Dakota may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level lighting designer usually earns less than a senior-level lighting designer. Additionally, a lighting designer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average lighting designer salary

   $53,542yearly

   $25.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lighting designer salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average lighting designer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$70,671	$34
   2	Massachusetts	$68,571	$33
   3	Washington	$64,241	$31
   4	Oregon	$62,594	$30
   5	New York	$60,506	$29
   6	District of Columbia	$60,359	$29
   7	Rhode Island	$57,586	$28
   8	New Jersey	$56,852	$27
   9	Indiana	$52,838	$25
   10	Nevada	$52,336	$25
   11	Illinois	$51,449	$25
   12	Nebraska	$51,350	$25
   13	Colorado	$48,455	$23
   14	Texas	$47,937	$23
   15	Florida	$46,254	$22
   16	Utah	$44,967	$22
   17	Georgia	$39,954	$19

   Average lighting designer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Rivian	$94,326	$45.35	15
   2	PHT Corporation	$70,527	$33.91
   3	George P. Johnson Experience Marketing	$66,488	$31.97	13
   4	NBBJ Design	$64,469	$30.99	4
   5	HLW	$64,159	$30.85	7
   6	Affiliated Engineers	$59,322	$28.52
   7	HGA	$58,977	$28.35	21
   8	HDR	$58,946	$28.34	95
   9	Illuminations	$58,889	$28.31
   10	Stantec	$58,833	$28.29	269
   11	tk1sc	$58,447	$28.10
   12	Morrison-Maierle	$57,288	$27.54
   13	Prestonwood Baptist Church	$56,995	$27.40	1
   14	Messiah College	$56,527	$27.18
   15	Syska Hennessy Group	$55,373	$26.62	10
   16	Aquinas Consulting	$55,294	$26.58
   17	LPA Holding Corp	$55,126	$26.50	29
   18	EXP	$54,196	$26.06	16
   19	Tetra Tech	$54,185	$26.05	25
   20	Randstad North America, Inc.	$54,092	$26.01	2

4. Writing a lighting designer job description

   A lighting designer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a lighting designer job description:

   Lighting designer job description example

   Driven by a high-caliber workforce, Ameresco is a leading clean technology integrator and renewable asset developer, owner and operator. Our comprehensive services include energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions throughout North America and Europe. Our renewable energy assets and customer projects have delivered a cumulative carbon offset equivalent to over 60 million metric tons of carbon dioxide since going public in 2010.
   
   Grounded in our C.A.R.I.N.G. values and guided by our Environmental, Social and Governance practices, we are proud of our engaging workplace with a host of competitive benefits and wellness programs. Our teams work collaboratively to deliver best-in-class solutions with a relentless focus on customer satisfaction. In pursuit of energizing a sustainable world, our people and purpose set Ameresco apart.
   
   Help shape the future of energy by working for an award-winning team, honored to be recognized by agencies including Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation and Forbes for our company culture, industry leadership, and client projects. Ameresco is fueled by a dynamic team that embraces diversity, career development opportunities, and -- most importantly - employees driven by doing well by doing good.
   
   Ameresco has a new opportunity for a Lighting Designer to join our Northwest Regional team in Renton, WA.
   Responsibilities:Design lighting projects with assistance from specialized computer software;
   Coordinate with customers and engineering team for various accounts and manage communication with vendors to facilitate appropriate pricing for design applications;
   Assist development team with design for material quotations for various projects;
   Collaborate with project manager to gather all pricing information and assist in making calculations to save energy from various lighting arrangements;
   Design various lighting layouts and specifications;
   Prepare and execute all calculations;
   Design lighting mock ups;
   Evaluate and implement lighting systems to ensure customer satisfaction; and
   Perform other duties as required.
   
   Minimum Qualifications
   High school diploma or equivalent
   Minimum of 5 years industrial power, electrical, utility or engineering projects focusing on lighting design
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   Lighting Certification (preferred)
   Title 24 Experience
   Completion or progress toward engineering, technical, or industry-related education preferred.
   Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple priorities and foster positive business relationships.
   Strong verbal, written, computer, technical communication and presentation skills.
   Proficient computer skills including MS Word, Excel, Project.
   
   AMERESCO challenges the brightest, most talented and creative individuals in the industry by providing an environment that embraces initiative, diversity, and achievement along with comprehensive rewards, including people-oriented insurance, investment, and incentive plans.
   
   Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer/Women/Minorities/Veteran/Disability.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right lighting designer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lighting designer job on Zippia to find and attract quality lighting designer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting lighting designers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new lighting designer

   Once you've decided on a perfect lighting designer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new lighting designer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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