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3D Lighting Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

TheLab

CGI Lighting

Manhattan, NY · On-site

The CGI Lighting Artist is responsible for creating high-quality lighting and rendering solutions ... Technical Skills: 3D Software * 3ds Max * Houdini Rendering Engines * V-Ray * Karma Production

TheLab

CGI Lighting

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$150K/yr

The CGI Lighting Artist is responsible for creating high-quality lighting and rendering solutions ... Technical Skills: 3D Software * 3ds Max * Houdini Rendering Engines * V-Ray * Karma Production

thelab

CGI Lighting

Manhattan, NY · On-site

The CGI Lighting Artist is responsible for creating high-quality lighting and rendering solutions ... Technical Skills: 3D Software * 3ds Max * Houdini Rendering Engines * V-Ray * Karma Production

Kensoft Inc.

3D Artist

New York, NY · Remote

$55/hr

About the Role We are looking for a talented and creative 3D Artist to join our team. The ... Set up lighting, cameras, and scenes for high-quality renders. * Produce 3D visualizations and ...

New

Valicy

3D Artist

Wilmington, NC

The ideal candidate for 3D Artist has experience modeling, texturing, and lighting engine-ready assets in a stylized world. A solid grasp of form, color, and light for both 2D and 3D art assets is ...

Tolan

3D Artist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

The Role We're hiring an artist to help build the 3D world of Tolan. You'll create beautiful ... Tune materials, shaders, lighting setups, and VFX to create a stylized, expressive and rich world.

SAIC

3D Environmental Artist

Orlando, FL · On-site

Description The 3D Environmental Artist is an entry-to-mid-level technical artist responsible for ... Create and apply textures, materials, and lighting using modern PBR workflows. * Develop reusable ...

SAIC

3D Environmental Artist

Orlando, FL

ORA_ON_SITE Description The 3D Environmental Artist is an entry-to-mid-level technical artist ... Create and apply textures, materials, and lighting using modern PBR workflows. * Develop reusable ...

Catface

Contract 3D Artist

Austin, TX

$20 - $25/hr

Build environments through set dressing, composition, and lighting. * Model, texture, and optimize 3D assets. * Produce high-quality renders using Redshift. * Work closely with thumbnail artists ...

Catface

Contract 3D Artist

Austin, TX · Remote

$20 - $25/hr

Build environments through set dressing, composition, and lighting. * Model, texture, and optimize 3D assets. * Produce high-quality renders using Redshift. * Work closely with thumbnail artists ...

Prisms VR

3D Artist (Remote)

San Francisco, CA · Remote

$110K - $140K/yr

As a 3D Artist, you will craft characters, environments, and educational 3D motion graphic ... Scene Layout and Lighting in Unity; * Creating Particle Effects; * Asset optimization for Mobile ...

Catface

Contract 3D Artist

Austin, TX · On-site

$20 - $25/hr

Build environments through set dressing, composition, and lighting. * Model, texture, and optimize 3D assets. * Produce high-quality renders using Redshift. * Work closely with thumbnail artists ...

RS&H

Junior 3D Visualization Artist

Tampa, FL

Apply best practices in modeling, material creation, lighting, rendering, composition, and post ... Minimum of 1-2 years of experience working as a 3D visualization artist, including internships or ...

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How much do 3d lighting artist jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average hourly pay for 3d lighting artist in the United States is $39.46, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $27.16 and $48.56 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a 3D lighting artist do?

A 3D Lighting Artist is responsible for creating and implementing lighting in 3D environments to enhance mood, realism, and storytelling. They work with rendering engines, shaders, and lighting techniques to achieve the desired visual quality in films, video games, and animations. Their role involves adjusting light sources, shadows, and reflections to ensure scenes look natural or stylized according to the project’s needs.

What are some typical daily responsibilities of a 3D lighting artist within a production team?

As a 3D Lighting Artist, your typical day involves collaborating with animators, modelers, and compositors to design and implement lighting setups that enhance the mood and realism of scenes. You will adjust lighting rigs, tweak material properties, and render test images, ensuring the final visuals meet the project’s artistic direction and technical requirements. Regularly reviewing feedback from art directors and supervisors, you'll iterate on your work and help address technical challenges related to rendering and scene optimization. Working closely with other departments helps maintain visual consistency and ensures deadlines are met throughout the production pipeline.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the 3D lighting artist position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a 3D Lighting Artist, you need a strong background in computer graphics, an understanding of lighting theory, color, and composition, often supported by a degree in art, animation, or related fields. Proficiency with industry-standard software such as Autodesk Maya, Blender, Houdini, and rendering engines like Arnold or V-Ray is essential, and knowledge of scripting languages or real-time engines like Unreal Engine is a plus. Creativity, attention to detail, and effective communication are vital soft skills for collaborating with artists and meeting visual storytelling goals. These competencies ensure visually compelling scenes and seamless integration within production pipelines, resulting in high-quality animations or games.

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3D Lighting Artist jobs near you
Infographic showing various 3D Lighting Artist job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, and 7% Part Time. Highlights an 67% In-person, and 33% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $82,070 per year, or $39.5 per hour.

CGI Lighting

TheLab

Manhattan, NY • On-site

Full-time

Posted 17 days ago

Job description

Position Summary:

The CGI Lighting Artist is responsible for creating high-quality lighting and rendering solutions for digital assets across a wide range of client projects. Working within HOME, Wellcom's AI-enabled production ecosystem, this role combines artistic expertise with emerging technologies to produce photorealistic imagery while supporting efficient, scalable production workflows.

The CGI Lighting Artist collaborates closely with modelers, texture artists, compositors, developers, and production teams to establish lighting that enhances realism, reinforces brand standards, and supports creative objectives. They will also help evaluate and integrate AI-enabled tools that improve lighting workflows without compromising quality.



Key Responsibilities:

  • Create realistic and visually compelling lighting for CGI assets across product visualization, advertising, retail, and marketing campaigns.
  • Develop lighting setups that enhance mood, realism, and brand consistency.
  • Optimize rendering workflows to balance visual quality with production efficiency.
  • Collaborate with modeling, texturing, compositing, and production teams throughout the creative process.
  • Maintain consistency across multiple assets, environments, and deliverables.
  • Troubleshoot rendering and lighting issues while ensuring deadlines are met.
  • Work with AI Developers and production teams to evaluate AI-assisted lighting, rendering, and workflow automation opportunities within HOME.
  • Contribute to lighting standards, documentation, and best practices across production teams.
  • Stay informed on advancements in CGI rendering, lighting techniques, and AI technologies relevant to production.



Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Graphics, Animation, Digital Arts, Visual Effects, or equivalent professional experience.
  • Experience in CGI lighting and rendering for commercial, retail, or advertising projects.
  • Strong understanding of lighting theory, color, composition, and photorealism.
  • Experience with physically based rendering (PBR) workflows.
  • Strong attention to detail and visual storytelling.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills.



Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with AI-assisted rendering or production workflows.
  • Knowledge of physically accurate materials and shader development.
  • Experience working with large-scale production pipelines.
  • Familiarity with automation tools or scripting (Python is a plus).
  • Experience supporting photography, product visualization, or e-commerce content production.
  • Understanding of cloud rendering and distributed rendering environments.



Technical Skills:

3D Software

  • 3ds Max
  • Houdini

Rendering Engines

  • V-Ray
  • Karma

Production

  • Physically Based Rendering (PBR)
  • HDRI lighting
  • Color management
  • Render optimization
  • Asset management

Emerging Technologies

  • AI-assisted rendering tools
  • Workflow automation
  • Basic scripting (Python preferred)
  • Familiarity with HOME AI workflows



Success in This Role:

A successful CGI Lighting Artist will:

  • Produce photorealistic lighting that elevates the quality of digital content.
  • Optimize rendering workflows for speed, consistency, and scalability.
  • Collaborate effectively with creative, production, and technology teams.
  • Help identify opportunities where AI can improve efficiency while maintaining creative excellence.
  • Contribute to the continued evolution of HOME by supporting innovative production workflows that combine artistic craftsmanship with emerging AI technologies.