| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
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| Attach equipment extensions or accessories. | |
| Calibrate equipment to specifications. | |
| Collaborate with others to determine design specifications or details. | |
| Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair. | |
| Gather information about work conditions or locations. | |
| Inspect equipment to ensure safety or proper functioning. | |
| Install computer hardware. | |
| Install electrical components, equipment, or systems. | |
| Load materials or equipment. | |
| Notify others of equipment problems. | |
| Operate control consoles for sound, lighting or video. | |
| Position safety or support equipment. | |
| Program equipment to perform production tasks. | |
| Repair electrical equipment. | |
| Run wiring to connect equipment. | |
| Set up material handling gear or equipment, such as rigging, packaging, or temporary structures. | |
| Set up still or video cameras or related equipment. | |
| Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment. | |
| Unload materials or equipment. | |
Theater Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Theater Careers and Jobs - all on one page
For theater-minded people who want to understand the full range of careers beyond performing on stage. Use the tools below to see which theater roles fit your background and goals.
Theater careers extend beyond acting into directing, stage management, design, and technical production, and often combine multiple roles. Use the tools below to explore Theater-related job titles sorted by growth rate, salary, or required education. You can start with entry points like Stage Crew Member, or look ahead to advanced roles such as Director or Theater Company Artistic Director. Along the way, you will see specific certifications, such as None formally required; audition/portfolio-driven field, that can help you move up the career ladder.
Here is a short Helper Video ![]()
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Theater careers/jobs, (2) Find Theater job listings, (3) Prepare for Theater careers, and (4) Provide Theater career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Theater careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Theater Careers - 2023 to 2033 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Theater careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Theater, so relevant Theater jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Theater Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Theater Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Theater careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 98 Theater Jobs.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and Training and Experience Required
Local Salary Information: Provides national and local salary ranges
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
30 Theater careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2023 to 2033 est.). Theater-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2023-2033 (% change) | Theater-Related Jobs |
33 Theater careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Theater-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Theater-Related Jobs |
33 Theater careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Theater-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
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Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
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| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Theater-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 98 specific Theater job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Find Job Listings:
Lighting Technicians.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Description: Set up, maintain, and dismantle light fixtures, lighting control devices, and the associated lighting electrical and rigging equipment used for photography, television, film, video, and live productions. May focus or operate light fixtures, or attach color filters or other lighting accessories.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Lighting Technicians":
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance. |
| Activity: Communicate with others about specifications or project details. |
| Activity: Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools. |
| Activity: Disassemble equipment. |
| Activity: Gather data about operational or development activities. |
| Activity: Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment. |
| Activity: Install commercial or production equipment. |
| Activity: Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing. |
| Activity: Notify others of emergencies or problems. |
| Activity: Operate audiovisual or related equipment. |
| Activity: Position tools or equipment. |
| Activity: Program computer systems or production equipment. |
| Activity: Repair electrical or electronic equipment. |
| Activity: Set up computer systems, networks, or other information systems. |
| Activity: Set up equipment. |
| Activity: Test performance of equipment or systems. |
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Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| High-Priority Tech Skills |
| Office suite software: |
| Microsoft Office software |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Computer aided design CAD software: |
| Autodesk AutoCAD |
| Data base user interface and query software: |
| Microsoft Access |
| Electronic mail software: |
| Microsoft Outlook |
| Presentation software: |
| Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Project management software: |
| Microsoft Project |
| Spreadsheet software: |
| Microsoft Excel |
| General Software Tools |
| Data base user interface and query software: |
| FileMaker Pro |
| Enterprise resource planning ERP software: |
| SAP Maintenance |
| Industrial control software: |
| Programmable logic controller PLC software |
| Internet browser software: |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer |
| Program testing software: |
| Rockwell RSLogix |
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed |
| Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job. |
| Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. |
| Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations. |
| These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants. |
| Certifications These are examples of certifications that may be important for this occupation. How can you begin exploring which certifications fit your goals and what steps you would need to take to earn them? |
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Certified Apprentice Lighting Technician | |
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Certified Senior Lighting Technician | |
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles - scroll and click to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills in current job listings |
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Lighting Technicians". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Lighting Technicians
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
Developed by Dr. Ralph Jagodka, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus of Business Management at Mt. San Antonio College and author of the Harvard Business Impact article "What to Do When Students Ask You for Career Advice." - Full bio. © 2026 About This Page
