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3D Lighting Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Senior Lighting Artist

Boston, MA · Hybrid

$118K - $185K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

You will report to and work closely with our Lead Lighting Artist, and the cinematic and ... General 3d modeling skills. * Experience in practical lighting for film. Candidates should include ...

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

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

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

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 ...

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.

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

New

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 ...

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 ...

3D Artist

Dallas, TX · On-site

$50K - $65K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

... scene by lighting and texturing the product, and then add animation to show how the product ... The 3D Artist position is a full-time role, with competitive salary, full employee medical benefits ...

3D Artist

Dallas, TX · On-site

$50K - $65K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

... scene by lighting and texturing the product, and then add animation to show how the product ... The 3D Artist position is a full-time role, with competitive salary, full employee medical benefits ...

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 ...

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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3D Lighting Artist information

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

As of Aug 18, 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.

More about 3D Lighting Artist jobs

What cities are hiring for 3D Lighting Artist jobs?

Cities with the most 3D Lighting Artist job openings:

What states have the most 3D Lighting Artist jobs?

States with the most job openings for 3D Lighting Artist jobs include:

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.

Senior Lighting Artist

CD PROJEKT RED

Boston, MA • Hybrid

$118K - $185K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 2 days ago


Job description

Company Description

To create revolutionary, story-driven RPGs which go straight to the hearts of gamers - this is our mission. As a driven team of talented professionals from all around the globe, we want to earn our place as one of the world's top video-game developers, push narrative boundaries, and build unforgettable stories that set and redefine the standards for the genre.

Job Description

CD PROJEKT RED is looking for a Senior Lighting Artist to join our Boston hub and the team working on Cyberpunk 2, the next mainline Cyberpunk 2077 game. You will report to and work closely with our Lead Lighting Artist, and the cinematic and environment teams to craft unified compositions, visual clarity and help drive action.

We are looking for someone with a proven fluency in the language of lighting and understands how important it is to the finished product. 

Daily Responsibilities

  • Work both independently and collaboratively to create an optimal lighting pipeline for the project.
  • Daily work in lighting missions, open world and cinematic spaces.
  • Collaborate in the creation of color scripts as necessary.
  • Create workflows and best practices for the lighting team.
  • Keeping artistic style consistent with defined visual style for the game.
  • Work with design to develop mission and environmental flow as needed.
  • Work with leads and Production to estimate and plan work.
  • Work closely with technical artists to develop new or improved techniques.
  • Write and prepare briefs for work with outsource vendors, review work as necessary.
  • Mentor other Lighting artists, and help build an environment of creativity, trust and excellence.
Qualifications
  • 5+ years of experience as a lighter in games. 
  • Ability to work independently and both drive and manage tasks to deliver results. 
  • An understanding of both real-time and baked lighting.
  • Solid portfolio demonstrating expertise.
  • Strong knowledge of lighting tools and pipelines in UE5.
  • Strong knowledge of direct and indirect light, luminance and color theory.
  • Clear understanding and ability to evaluate and translate game and narrative beats into lighting scenarios. 
  • Ability to clearly communicate in a cross-functional working environment, and comfortable sharing ideas and feedback in ways that support the team and project. 
  • Ability to deliver and receive feedback in a productive and accountable manner.

Nice-to Have
(Please note these skills are not required to apply for the job)

  • General 3d modeling skills.
  • Experience in practical lighting for film.

Candidates should include a portfolio or website with examples of their work. Applications without a portfolio will not be considered. 

Additional Information

The application window for this position will close by 09/017/2026.

This job requires working in Boston, US.
Working mode: in-office in a hybrid or full-time capacity. 

Health & Well-Being

  • Company-paid medical healthcare (dental, vision, and mental).
  • Free mental health support, including access to counseling, psychiatric care, and a variety of well-being webinars.
  • Paid leave - 26 days of vacation, 10 sick days, & 12 calendar holidays per year.
  • 401k with employer matching. 
  • Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) - $100 per month to use towards fitness, wellness, internet, home office equipment, learning, streaming services, and more.
  • Menstrual leave - employees who menstruate can take one extra day off when experiencing period pain.
  • RED Parents Network - support for working parents, including childcare benefits, and family-friendly events.

Perks & Professional Growth

  • Flexible working hours.
  • Trainings, lectures, and courses - internal workshops, knowledge-sharing initiatives, online tutorials, and e-learning classes are all available.
  • A welcome pack filled with goodies - to help you feel right at home once you join the team.

Life in the Office

  • Dog-friendly office - bring your pooch with you and look after them while working! There's always a furry friend or two to meet.
  • Truly international working environment - a chance to meet and work with a diverse selection of people from all around the world.
  • No dress-code - we like to keep it casual.

This position is a backfill.

Estimated pay range for this position: $118,200 - $185,100 USD annually

At CD PROJEKT RED compensation for our roles in North America are determined based on competitive market data, geographic location, and individual factors tied to business needs. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. Final offers are dependent on job-related factors like experience, qualifications, and location.

If you've observed any irregularities (i.e. legal or ethical violations) in our recruitment process, please click here to report them anonymously.

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