Theatrical / Stage Electrician

Hangs, wires, and runs the lights for concerts, theaters, and TV studios.

A day in the life

You climb a truss to hang 100 moving lights for a concert, run power cables across a stage, and stand by during the show in case anything fails.

Pay over a career

Starting
$40k
Typical
$65k
High
$110k

Union Broadway and arena work pays far more.

Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.

Training

High school diploma, about 2 years after high school. On-the-job training, often through IATSE stagehand union; ETCP certification.

Ways in: On-the-job training, Apprenticeship, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.

Majors to look at: Theatre Technology, Electrical Technology.

Outlook

Growing about average. No separate BLS projection for this specialty; rating is an estimate based on industry trends.

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. Lighting consoles get smarter and AI can pre-program cues, but hanging, focusing and running live shows stays a human crew job.

Start now, in high school

Classes: Theater tech crew, Physics, Electronics or stagecraft CTE.

Official data: O*NET occupation 27-4099.

More Electrical careers

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.