Designs how buildings, bridges, and public spaces are lit to look dramatic and save energy.
You model how light will wash across a museum's stone walls, then climb a ladder at midnight to aim fixtures on a bridge. You tune colors until the city skyline looks just right.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Degree in architecture, theater lighting, or architectural engineering; LC or CLD certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Architectural Engineering, Theatre Lighting Design, Architecture, Interior Design.
Growing about average. Small specialty; LED and controls keep it growing.
Low risk for 10 years. AI speeds light simulations and fixture layouts; artistic judgment, mockups and on-site aiming stay human.
Classes: Theater tech crew (lighting), Physics, Studio art.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1029.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.