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Full Time Lighting Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Scattermesh

3D Lighting Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

Job Summary Scattermesh is expanding its team and we are looking to hire 3D Lighting artists to work across client projects on a full time basis on-site in Herndon, VA. The role requires a skilled ...

Scattermesh

3D Lighting Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

Job Summary Scattermesh is expanding its team and we are looking to hire 3D Lighting artists to work across client projects on a full time basis on-site in Herndon, VA. The role requires a skilled ...

Scattermesh

Senior Lighting Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$130K - $156K/yr

Job Summary Scattermesh is expanding its team and we are looking to hire Senior 3D Lighting artists to work across client projects on a full time basis on-site in Herndon, VA. The role requires a ...

Scattermesh

Senior Lighting Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$130K - $156K/yr

Job Summary Scattermesh is expanding its team and we are looking to hire Senior 3D Lighting artists to work across client projects on a full time basis on-site in Herndon, VA. The role requires a ...

ISG

Lighting Designer

Mankato, MN · On-site

Electrical + Technology Employment Type: Full Time Location: Mankato, MN Description Founded in ... You'll work closely with internal design teams and external clients, bringing your artistic vision ...

ISG

Lighting Designer

Bloomington, MN · On-site

$65K - $130K/yr

Lighting Designer Department: Electrical + Technology Employment Type: Full Time Location ... You'll work closely with internal design teams and external clients, bringing your artistic vision ...

Higharc

3D Artist

Develop and revise models, materials, lighting, and compositions for interactive and rendered ... S based employees that are full-time. You'll also have access to other big-company benefits such ...

Together Group

Senior Real-Time Viz Artist

Sarasota, FL · On-site

$80K - $90K/yr

Senior Real-Time Viz Artist Department: Imerza Employment Type: Full Time Location: Imerza ... Apply real-time lighting expertise across project contexts: Lumen global illumination, sun studies ...

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All JobsFull Time Lighting Artist Jobs

Full Time Lighting Artist information

See salary details

$30.5K

$129.5K

$152.5K

How much do full time lighting artist jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 15, 2026, the average yearly pay for full time lighting artist in the United States is $129,541.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $127,000.00 and $152,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Full Time Lighting Artist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Full Time Lighting Artist, you need strong artistic sensibility, a solid understanding of lighting principles, and experience with 3D modeling or animation, often supported by a degree in art, animation, or a related field. Proficiency in industry-standard software such as Autodesk Maya, Unreal Engine, or Houdini, as well as familiarity with rendering engines like Arnold or V-Ray, is typically required. Creativity, attention to detail, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for collaborating with other artists and delivering visually compelling scenes. These abilities ensure that the final visuals enhance storytelling, maintain consistency, and meet production standards in games, film, or animation projects.

What does a Full Time Lighting Artist do?

A Full Time Lighting Artist is responsible for creating realistic and visually appealing lighting in digital environments, such as video games, movies, and animations. They use specialized software to simulate how light interacts with objects and characters, enhancing mood, depth, and atmosphere. Lighting artists collaborate closely with other departments, like modeling, texturing, and rendering teams, to ensure scenes are both technically accurate and artistically compelling. Their work is crucial for establishing the visual tone and believability of a project.

What are some common challenges Full Time Lighting Artists face when working on large-scale projects, and how can they overcome them?

Full Time Lighting Artists working on large-scale projects often face challenges such as maintaining visual consistency across multiple scenes, meeting tight production deadlines, and effectively collaborating with other departments like modeling and compositing. To overcome these challenges, it's crucial to develop strong communication skills, adopt standardized workflows, and utilize reference materials or lighting templates. Staying organized and proactive in addressing feedback during review cycles will also help ensure that lighting enhances storytelling and meets the project's artistic vision.

What is the difference between Full Time Lighting Artist vs Lighting Technician?

AspectFull Time Lighting ArtistLighting Technician
CredentialsPortfolio, relevant education, possibly certifications in lighting or artTechnical certifications, hands-on experience with lighting equipment
Work EnvironmentCreative studios, post-production, film, gaming, animationOn-set, live events, studio setups, film sets
Industry UsageFilm, video games, animation, visual effectsFilm, television, live events, theater

The Full Time Lighting Artist focuses on creating and designing lighting for digital media, emphasizing artistic vision and technical skills. In contrast, a Lighting Technician handles the setup, operation, and maintenance of lighting equipment on set or stage. While both roles require technical knowledge, the Lighting Technician is more hands-on with equipment, whereas the Lighting Artist emphasizes creative lighting design in digital environments.

More about Full Time Lighting Artist jobs
What cities are hiring for Full Time Lighting Artist jobs? Cities with the most Full Time Lighting Artist job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Lighting Artist jobs? The most popular types of Lighting Artist jobs are:
What job categories do people searching Full Time Lighting Artist jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Full Time Lighting Artist jobs are:
Full Time Lighting Artist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Full Time Lighting Artist job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 98% Full Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $129,541 per year, or $62.3 per hour.

3D Lighting Artist

Scattermesh

Herndon, VA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 27 days ago

Job description

Scattermesh is a fast-paced small company looking to disrupt, transform, and innovate on behalf of our clients. We are inventors, technologists, artisans, problem solvers, and collaborators seeking to redefine the content experience by changing how content is managed and delivered to clients. We have an amazing team and we want to add a few talented revolutionaries who want to make a difference solving hard problems. Create your story and start making an indelible impact today.
Job Summary
Scattermesh is expanding its team and we are looking to hire 3D Lighting artists to work across client projects on a full time basis on-site in Herndon, VA. The role requires a skilled artist with strong understanding of lighting and rendering photorealistic images of primarily organic characters. The ideal candidate will have experience lighting scenes from photo reference and should have a strong understanding of customizing shaders to replicate real interactions between surfaces and light.
Responsibilities and Duties
  • Realize the Vision - Elevate high quality 3D character models by optimizing textures and shaders to create realistic renders.
  • Construct Reality - Create and maintain the overall look, color, and quality across multiple sequences to create storylines.
  • Collaborate - Work alongside your fellow artists and studio managers to meet the needs of today while preparing for and solving the problems of tomorrow.

Qualifications and Skills
  • 1-9+ years' experience as a 3D artist or relevant portfolio
  • Strong artistic fundamentals - scale, composition, perspective, proportion, mass and volume, light and color, and surface properties
  • Understanding of real-world lighting and photography, exposure, color grading, lens and camera behavior and HDR workflows
  • Mastery of standard art packages such as Maya, Arnold, Substance / Adobe Painter, etc
  • Skilled in look development and lighting for photorealistic renders
  • Skilled in replicating physically accurate lighting environments in 3D
  • Understanding of PBR rendering and optimizations using Arnold or similar engines
  • Experience working within an established studio pipeline and file structure
  • Is self-motivated and self-reliant
  • Must have a learning mind-set
  • Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
  • US citizenship required

Benefits and Perks
Scattermesh is as obsessed about our employees as our customers. We want to provide great benefits and perks so you can focus on making an impact. We recognize that industry is moving away from better benefits so we have decided to do our part to start reversing the trend. Join us in our quest to disrupt, transform and innovate.
Benefits
  • Competitive Market Leading Pay
  • 25-30 days - Paid Time Off (PTO) / Holiday
  • 100% Company paid medical/dental/vision/plans
  • Health Savings Account (HSA)
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
  • 401(k) Matching with no cliff vest

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