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Lighting designer salary
Average lighting designer salary
$53,542
Lighting Designer Salary Overview
The average salary for a Lighting Designer is $53,542 annually, or about $26 hourly. This salary can vary based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry one works in. For instance, lighting designers in high-demand markets such as New York or California often earn more than peers in other regions.
Factors Influencing Salary
- Experience: Entry-level designers usually start at the lower end of the pay scale, while those with extensive experience can command significantly higher salaries.
- Industry: Lighting designers in the entertainment or architectural sectors may see higher earnings compared to those in residential design.
- Location: Urban areas with a higher cost of living generally offer better compensation.
Additionally, pursuing specialized training or certifications can enhance job prospects and salary potential. Understanding these dynamics helps prospective lighting designers make informed career decisions.
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Where can a Lighting Designer earn more?
Lighting designer salary estimates from across the web
Average lighting designer salary by state
The average lighting designer salary in Massachusetts, Washington, and Arizona are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average lighting designer salary states are North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lighting designers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $68,566 | $32.96 |
| 2 | Oregon | $62,809 | $30.20 |
| 3 | Washington | $63,276 | $30.42 |
| 4 | Arizona | $63,143 | $30.36 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $62,862 | $30.22 |
| 6 | California | $63,045 | $30.31 |
| 7 | New York | $60,349 | $29.01 |
| 8 | Michigan | $56,013 | $26.93 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $60,355 | $29.02 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $56,802 | $27.31 |
| 11 | Kansas | $56,591 | $27.21 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $57,542 | $27.66 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $58,563 | $28.16 |
| 14 | Idaho | $57,541 | $27.66 |
| 15 | Maine | $55,664 | $26.76 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $55,061 | $26.47 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $56,377 | $27.10 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $52,343 | $25.16 |
| 19 | Virginia | $55,862 | $26.86 |
| 20 | Vermont | $54,895 | $26.39 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $56,493 | $27.16 |
| 22 | Illinois | $51,213 | $24.62 |
| 23 | Nevada | $53,265 | $25.61 |
| 24 | Missouri | $52,036 | $25.02 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $51,237 | $24.63 |
| 26 | Indiana | $51,766 | $24.89 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $52,410 | $25.20 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $51,006 | $24.52 |
| 29 | Texas | $47,939 | $23.05 |
| 30 | Ohio | $47,742 | $22.95 |
| 31 | Colorado | $48,397 | $23.27 |
| 32 | Iowa | $48,836 | $23.48 |
| 33 | Utah | $45,167 | $21.71 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $45,437 | $21.84 |
| 35 | Maryland | $48,031 | $23.09 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $48,835 | $23.48 |
| 37 | Alabama | $47,313 | $22.75 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $47,156 | $22.67 |
| 39 | Montana | $47,535 | $22.85 |
| 40 | Delaware | $48,502 | $23.32 |
| 41 | Florida | $45,923 | $22.08 |
| 42 | Alaska | $48,051 | $23.10 |
| 43 | Georgia | $39,949 | $19.21 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | $41,394 | $19.90 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $44,008 | $21.16 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $42,960 | $20.65 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $43,255 | $20.80 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $43,750 | $21.03 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $46,548 | $22.38 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $42,887 | $20.62 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $38,563 | $18.54 |
Highest paying cities for lighting designers
The highest-paying cities for lighting designers are San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $70,671 | $33.98 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $68,571 | $32.97 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $64,241 | $30.89 |
| 4 | Bend, OR | $62,594 | $30.09 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $60,506 | $29.09 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $60,359 | $29.02 |
| 7 | Providence, RI | $57,586 | $27.69 |
| 8 | Jersey City, NJ | $56,852 | $27.33 |
| 9 | Goshen, IN | $52,838 | $25.40 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $52,336 | $25.16 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $51,449 | $24.74 |
| 12 | Kearney, NE | $51,350 | $24.69 |
| 13 | Broomfield, CO | $48,455 | $23.30 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $47,937 | $23.05 |
| 15 | Kissimmee, FL | $46,254 | $22.24 |
| 16 | Provo, UT | $44,967 | $21.62 |
| 17 | Roswell, GA | $39,954 | $19.21 |
Lighting designer salary details
A lighting designer's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $83,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lighting designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| Average | $53,542 | $4,462 | $26 |
| 25th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying lighting designer jobs
The highest paying types of lighting designers are product designer, product design internship, and senior industrial designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Design Internship | $65,869 | $5,489 | $31.67 | 98,331 |
| Product Design Internship | $75,789 | $6,316 | $36.44 | 141,378 |
| Industrial Designer | $63,384 | $5,282 | $30.47 | 54,012 |
| Product Designer | $102,033 | $8,503 | $49.05 | 98,465 |
| Designer | $66,347 | $5,529 | $31.90 | 52,433 |
| Kitchen Designer | $55,942 | $4,662 | $26.89 | 56,831 |
Top companies hiring lighting designers now:
Which companies pay lighting designers the most?
Lighting designer salaries at Rivian and PHT Corporation are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lighting designer salary at companies like George P. Johnson Experience Marketing and NBBJ Design are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rivian | $94,326 | $45.35 |
| 2 | PHT Corporation | $70,527 | $33.91 |
| 3 | George P. Johnson Experience Marketing | $66,488 | $31.97 |
| 4 | NBBJ Design | $64,469 | $30.99 |
| 5 | HLW | $64,159 | $30.85 |
| 6 | Affiliated Engineers | $59,322 | $28.52 |
| 7 | HGA | $58,977 | $28.35 |
| 8 | HDR | $58,946 | $28.34 |
| 9 | Illuminations | $58,889 | $28.31 |
| 10 | Stantec | $58,833 | $28.29 |
| 11 | tk1sc | $58,447 | $28.10 |
| 12 | Morrison-Maierle | $57,288 | $27.54 |
| 13 | Prestonwood Baptist Church | $56,995 | $27.40 |
| 14 | Messiah College | $56,527 | $27.18 |
| 15 | Syska Hennessy Group | $55,373 | $26.62 |
| 16 | Aquinas Consulting | $55,294 | $26.58 |
| 17 | LPA Holding Corp | $55,126 | $26.50 |
| 18 | EXP | $54,196 | $26.06 |
| 19 | Tetra Tech | $54,185 | $26.05 |
| 20 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $54,092 | $26.01 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lighting Designer salary by industry
The average lighting designer salary varies across industries:
- The average lighting designer salary in the manufacturing industry is $64,145, the highest of any industry.
- The average lighting designer salary in the finance industry is $60,513.
- Lighting designers in the media industry earn an average salary of $51,097, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for lighting designers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $64,145 | $30.84 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $60,513 | $29.09 |
| 3 | Technology | $57,886 | $27.83 |
| 4 | Professional | $57,850 | $27.81 |
| 5 | Automotive | $57,304 | $27.55 |
| 6 | Education | $53,010 | $25.49 |
| 7 | Media | $51,097 | $24.57 |
High paying lighting designer jobs
Lighting designer salary trends
The average lighting designer salary has risen by $8,131 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lighting designer earned $45,411 annually, but today, they earn $53,542 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for lighting designers over the last decade.
Compare lighting designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lighting designer salary over time
Compare lighting designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lighting designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $53,500 | $25.74 | +3.8% |
| 2024 | $51,500 | $24.75 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $49,800 | $23.93 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $49,300 | $23.70 | -2.8% |
| 2021 | $50,700 | $24.36 | +1.0% |
Recently added lighting designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kfi Engineers Pc | Lighting Designer I | Lexington, KY | 06/29/2025 | $58,436 |
| Explore Charleston | Lighting Designer | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $48,690 |
| Burlington Public Schools | Lighting Designer for Best-Summer 2025 | Burlington, MA | 06/28/2025 | $78,263 |
| Pae Consulting Engineers | Lighting Designer 2-All Offices | Culver City, CA | 06/21/2025 | $67,300 |
| Advanced Systems Group | Lighting Operator/Designer (Project Based or Ad HOC) | Los Angeles, CA | 06/19/2025 | $135,655 |
| Stantec Inc. | Lighting Designer | Chicago, IL | 06/18/2025 | $71,900 |
| Stantec | Lighting Designer | Boulder, CO | 06/17/2025 | $71,900 |
| Stantec | Lighting Designer | San Francisco, CA | 06/17/2025 | $71,900 |
| Stantec | Lighting Designer | Seattle, WA | 06/17/2025 | $71,900 |
| Arup | Lighting Designer | Los Angeles, CA | 06/10/2025 | $93,100 |
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