Also called: Assistant Chief Lighting Technician
The gaffer's second in command, who manages the lighting crew, equipment orders, and the electrical truck.
The best boy electric schedules the electricians, tracks hundreds of lights and cables, and makes sure the right gear is on the truck for tomorrow's location. They're the lighting department's manager.
Approximate, based on IATSE local rate cards and typical weeks worked; freelance crew income depends on how much work they book.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Apprenticeship, about 0 years after high school. Years as a set lighting technician first.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Apprenticeship. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Electrical Technology (trade school).
Growing about average. Follows production levels.
Low risk for 10 years. Inventory and ordering software help, but managing an electric crew, power distribution and gear on a working set stays human.
Classes: Electrical CTE, Business math, Theater tech crew, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-4015.
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.