Will AI replace lighting technicians?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 8h (100%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 4.8% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 8 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 5 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

8h of a typical shift, or 100%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Set up and focus light fixtures to meet requirements of television, theater, concerts, or other productions. (1h 21m a shift)
• Load, unload, or position lighting equipment. (58m a shift)
• Disassemble and store equipment after performances. (46m a shift)
• Install electrical cables or wire fixtures. (46m a shift)
• Operate manual or automated systems to control lighting throughout productions. (46m a shift)

On Indeed, job postings in the Media & Communications sector are at 69% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 6.8% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 600 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $68,060 a year ($32.72 an hour), 34% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $42,310 and $130,760 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects a decline of 4.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 9,400 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 600 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 8,900 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 681st largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 9,400 in 2035.

O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 8h of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Electricians (0m touched, $63k median pay)
• Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment (0m touched, $85k median pay)
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (19m touched, $78k median pay)
• Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers (48m touched, $46k median pay)
• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (0m touched, $74k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 16 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.