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The differences between lighting designers and junior designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a lighting designer, becoming a junior designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a lighting designer has an average salary of $53,542, which is higher than the $53,349 average annual salary of a junior designer.
The top three skills for a lighting designer include revit, photoshop and light fixtures. The most important skills for a junior designer are sketch, graphic design, and adobe creative suite.
| Lighting Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,542 | $53,349 |
| Hourly rate | $25.74 | $25.65 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 46,203 | 58,152 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
Lighting Designers are responsible for developing and implementing electrical and lighting systems. They are responsible for conducting site assessment and analysis, liaise with clients and engineers to determine technical specifications, design lighting plans, create budget reports for a project initiated, track progress targets, install electrical and lighting systems and ensures installation adheres to local energy regulation as well as building codes. Lighting designers work in commercial, industrial, or residential spaces and must demonstrate computer software proficiency such as AutoCAD and Adobe Creative Suites.
A junior designer is an entry-level professional who is responsible for creating high-quality designs according to the requirements of clients. Under the supervision of senior designers, junior designers must understand project requirements and projects and use various techniques to create drafts, models, and prototypes. They collaborate with team members to pitch in creative ideas and produce final design solutions that can include banners or logos. Junior designers must also take on specially design tasks and use feedback from other designers to improve.
Lighting designers and junior designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lighting Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Average salary | $53,542 | $53,349 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $83,000 | Between $43,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Rivian | Nike |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lighting designer and a junior designer in terms of educational background:
| Lighting Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Theatre | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lighting designers' and junior designers' demographics:
| Lighting Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.0% Female, 35.0% | Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 13% |