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Lighting engineer salary
Average lighting engineer salary
$85,362
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Lighting Engineer is approximately $85,362 annually, translating to about $41 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as experience level, geographical location, and the specific industry in which one is employed. For example, entry-level positions may start lower, while seasoned engineers can command higher salaries, particularly in metropolitan areas or specialized sectors.
Lighting Engineers play a crucial role in designing and implementing lighting systems across various applications, including theater productions, architectural projects, and events. The demand for these professionals continues to grow, especially with the rise in innovative lighting technologies and sustainable practices. States such as California and New York often offer the highest salaries due to a thriving entertainment and design industry.
For those looking to maximize their earning potential, gaining experience in high-demand areas or pursuing advanced certifications can pave the way to higher-paying roles. Furthermore, staying updated on industry trends and network connections can significantly enhance career advancement opportunities.
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Where can a Lighting Engineer earn more?
Lighting engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level lighting engineer | $56,900 | $27.37 |
| Mid-level lighting engineer | $90,700 | $43.62 |
| Senior-level lighting engineer | $134,000 | $64.51 |
Lighting engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average lighting engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for lighting engineers are California, Washington, and Alaska. The lowest average lighting engineer salary states are Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lighting engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $99,369 | $47.77 |
| 2 | California | $103,282 | $49.65 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $96,969 | $46.62 |
| 4 | Maryland | $96,618 | $46.45 |
| 5 | Alaska | $97,868 | $47.05 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $99,350 | $47.76 |
| 7 | Delaware | $90,395 | $43.46 |
| 8 | Vermont | $89,895 | $43.22 |
| 9 | New York | $96,861 | $46.57 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $87,973 | $42.29 |
| 11 | Alabama | $82,484 | $39.66 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $85,966 | $41.33 |
| 13 | Idaho | $87,825 | $42.22 |
| 14 | Indiana | $85,132 | $40.93 |
| 15 | Missouri | $84,862 | $40.80 |
| 16 | Illinois | $87,189 | $41.92 |
| 17 | Texas | $83,660 | $40.22 |
| 18 | Louisiana | $88,217 | $42.41 |
| 19 | Michigan | $80,741 | $38.82 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $92,539 | $44.49 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $84,510 | $40.63 |
| 22 | Nevada | $82,834 | $39.82 |
| 23 | Virginia | $83,161 | $39.98 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $82,098 | $39.47 |
| 25 | Oregon | $80,719 | $38.81 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $83,285 | $40.04 |
| 27 | Iowa | $77,894 | $37.45 |
| 28 | Maine | $78,461 | $37.72 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $78,643 | $37.81 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $76,765 | $36.91 |
| 31 | Florida | $79,155 | $38.06 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $80,765 | $38.83 |
| 33 | Colorado | $76,893 | $36.97 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $77,917 | $37.46 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $78,217 | $37.60 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $77,608 | $37.31 |
| 37 | Georgia | $77,082 | $37.06 |
| 38 | Arizona | $74,421 | $35.78 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $75,489 | $36.29 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $76,059 | $36.57 |
| 41 | Kansas | $75,516 | $36.31 |
| 42 | Ohio | $74,256 | $35.70 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $76,546 | $36.80 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $74,370 | $35.75 |
| 45 | Utah | $69,531 | $33.43 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $64,737 | $31.12 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $73,197 | $35.19 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $72,448 | $34.83 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $70,939 | $34.11 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $70,967 | $34.12 |
| 51 | Montana | $66,778 | $32.10 |
Highest paying cities for lighting engineers
The highest-paying cities for lighting engineers are Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY, and Silver Spring, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $100,843 | $48.48 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $97,118 | $46.69 |
| 3 | Silver Spring, MD | $96,580 | $46.43 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $87,867 | $42.24 |
| 5 | New Orleans, LA | $87,664 | $42.15 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $87,544 | $42.09 |
| 7 | Wilmington, NC | $85,585 | $41.15 |
| 8 | Indianapolis, IN | $85,204 | $40.96 |
| 9 | Dallas, TX | $84,342 | $40.55 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $83,352 | $40.07 |
| 11 | Richmond, VA | $83,132 | $39.97 |
| 12 | Troy, MI | $80,883 | $38.89 |
| 13 | Hillsboro, OR | $80,059 | $38.49 |
| 14 | Madison, WI | $78,560 | $37.77 |
| 15 | Allentown, PA | $77,966 | $37.48 |
| 16 | Alpharetta, GA | $77,720 | $37.37 |
| 17 | Greenville, SC | $77,118 | $37.08 |
| 18 | Littleton, CO | $76,876 | $36.96 |
| 19 | Lancaster, OH | $74,564 | $35.85 |
Lighting engineer salary details
A lighting engineer's salary ranges from $61,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $117,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lighting engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $117,000 | $9,750 | $56 |
| 75th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| Average | $85,362 | $7,114 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 10th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
Highest paying lighting engineer jobs
The highest paying types of lighting engineers are electrical engineer lead, senior electrical engineer, and system design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | $81,188 | $6,766 | $39.03 | 81,243 |
| Electrical Designer | $64,930 | $5,411 | $31.22 | 82,332 |
| Electrical Engineer Internship | $63,398 | $5,283 | $30.48 | 80,744 |
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | $92,464 | $7,705 | $44.45 | 51,065 |
| Electrical Engineer Lead | $111,251 | $9,271 | $53.49 | 82,196 |
| Electrical Controls Engineer | $82,681 | $6,890 | $39.75 | 54,037 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for lighting engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring lighting engineers now:
Which companies pay lighting engineers the most?
Lighting engineer salaries at Apple and Faraday Technology are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lighting engineer salary at companies like Battelle and UL are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $139,308 | $66.97 |
| 2 | Faraday Technology | $109,137 | $52.47 |
| 3 | Battelle | $99,964 | $48.06 |
| 4 | UL | $98,910 | $47.55 |
| 5 | Grandbridge Real Estate Capital | $96,088 | $46.20 |
| 6 | LAIKA | $93,517 | $44.96 |
| 7 | Eaton | $90,828 | $43.67 |
| 8 | Live Nation Entertainment | $87,953 | $42.29 |
| 9 | MINTH Group | $86,298 | $41.49 |
| 10 | Q LABS INC. | $85,596 | $41.15 |
| 11 | ProAutomated | $85,285 | $41.00 |
| 12 | Magna International | $85,237 | $40.98 |
| 13 | Andretti Autosport | $84,679 | $40.71 |
| 14 | Cogent Communications | $83,656 | $40.22 |
| 15 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $82,777 | $39.80 |
| 16 | Lockheed Martin | $81,848 | $39.35 |
| 17 | Tetra Tech | $80,376 | $38.64 |
| 18 | TG Missouri | $79,903 | $38.41 |
| 19 | CACI International | $79,308 | $38.13 |
| 20 | City of Richmond | $77,672 | $37.34 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lighting Engineer salary by industry
The average lighting engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average lighting engineer salary in the manufacturing industry is $88,444, the highest of any industry.
- The average lighting engineer salary in the finance industry is $83,215.
- Lighting engineers in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $70,054, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for lighting engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $88,444 | $42.52 |
| 2 | Education | $83,215 | $40.01 |
| 3 | Media | $82,916 | $39.86 |
| 4 | Professional | $76,536 | $36.80 |
| 5 | Hospitality | $70,054 | $33.68 |
High paying lighting engineer jobs
Lighting engineer salary trends
The average lighting engineer salary has risen by $12,623 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lighting engineer earned $72,739 annually, but today, they earn $85,362 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for lighting engineers over the last decade.
Compare lighting engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lighting engineer salary over time
Compare lighting engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lighting engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $85,400 | $41.04 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $83,400 | $40.10 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $81,800 | $39.33 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $80,500 | $38.69 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $79,800 | $38.34 | +1.3% |
Recently added lighting engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convene | L1 Lighting Engineer, Event Production | New York, NY | 06/26/2025 | $114,785 |
| Rhino Staging | South Florida-Lighting Engineer (L1) Avolites Tiger Touch II | Orlando, FL | 06/23/2025 | $104,350 |
| Live Nation Entertainment | Lighting Engineer | Santa Ana, CA | 05/27/2025 | $62,610 |
| Live Nation Entertainment | Lighting Engineer-Uptown Theater | Minneapolis, MN | 05/27/2025 | $52,175 |
| Inspire | Lighting Engineer (L1) | Denver, CO | 05/25/2025 | $70,000 |
| Live Nation Entertainment | Lighting Engineer | Silver Spring, MD | 05/13/2025 | $50,088 |
| Live Nation Entertainment | Lighting Engineer-Fillmore Minneapolis | Minneapolis, MN | 04/29/2025 | $37,566 |
| Live Nation Entertainment | Lighting Engineer | Silver Spring, MD | 04/29/2025 | $50,088 |
| Live Nation Entertainment | Lighting Engineer | Los Angeles, CA | 04/29/2025 | $62,610 |
| Live Nation Entertainment | Lighting Engineer-Fillmore Minneapolis | Minneapolis, MN | 03/30/2025 | $37,566 |
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