6 of the Best Types of Lighting Designer Jobs in 2026

Discover some great types of Lighting Designer jobs that are hiring now.

High Paying Lighting Designer Jobs

• Freelance Lighting Designer

  Salary range: $50,500 - $128,500

  Freelancers are self-employed. As a freelancer, you provide work to clients and invoice them for it. The type of clients you have depends on what kind of services you offer. Your clients can be individuals or companies. A full-time freelancer often has assignments from multiple clients at once. Some common services that people provide as freelancers are: writing, editing, graphic design, web design, marketing, programming, accounting, and bookkeeping. Freelancing is ideal for those who prefer to be their own boss and are willing to market themselves to meet their income goals.

• Manager Lighting Designer

  Salary range: $116,500 - $116,500

  Managers supervise a team of people; they establish goals, assign tasks, and measure progress. The specific responsibilities of someone in a management position will vary based on the company and industry they work in, but their primary responsibilities remain largely the same. Managers monitor the accomplishments of their staff, focusing on the overall goals of the department. They work with Human Resources to determine and address staffing needs, coordinate and delegate responsibilities, check employee performance, and provide additional training and direction when necessary.

• Senior Lighting Designer

  Salary range: $102,000 - $109,000

  Senior Lighting Designer is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Senior Lighting Designer jobs pay between $102,000 (25th percentile) and $109,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Senior Lighting Designer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Full Time Lighting Designer

  Salary range: $65,000 - $80,000

  Full-time employment hours are generally determined by the employer. There is no single universal definition; however, various laws and policies govern different types of eligibility and statuses. For example, the Fair Labor Standards Act does not define full-time employment but does require overtime pay after 40 hours of work in a workweek for non-exempt employees. The Affordable Care Act, in determining Applicable Large Employers, defines full-time employees as those working an average of at least 30 hours per week, or 130 hours a month. The H-1B Visa Program defines full-time as 40 hours per week, normally, and in no event would less than 35 hours per week be considered to be full-time employment. In practice, full-time employment is typically between 32 and 40 hours per week.

• Junior Lighting Designer

  Salary range: $45,500 - $65,500

  Junior Lighting Designer is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Junior Lighting Designer jobs pay between $45,500 (25th percentile) and $65,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Junior Lighting Designer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Lighting Designer Internship

  Salary range: $30,000 - $40,000

  An Internship is a position within your desired field that pays little or no money but offers you the opportunity to gain real-world experience. This may set you apart for your future job search. Generally, Internships are almost expected by employers on an entry-level candidate’s resume. You are much more of an asset to an employer if you have some work experience.