Share and intensity of work current AI systems can materially affect.
SOC 27-4015
Lighting Technicians AI displacement risk
Lighting control software automates cue execution and effects programming, but rigging, focusing, and adapting to venues are physical work done at height with real electricity. The console runs the show; humans build and focus it.
Likely potential for exposed tasks to move to software after workflow integration.
Automation handles playback, not installation. Every venue is different, fixtures must be rigged and focused by hand, and safety-critical rigging accountability keeps technicians on every production.
Distribution
Where Lighting Technicians sits across 620 tracked roles
Displacement pressure 26 — higher than 37% of the 620 occupations tracked on displacement.ai.
Score version
This page uses Seed model v0.4 (seed-v0.4-2026-05), last reviewed 2026-08-15. Directional occupation-level planning model using hand-reviewed public research, task exposure estimates, wage context, and transition-pathway assumptions.
16 O*NET task statements matched to SOC 27-4015. The displayed task profile combines these official task statements with the current public score model.
Median wage context: $68,060 (May 2025, US national). The latest BLS row matched SOC 27-4015.
Scores are planning signals, not forecasts. Local hiring demand, employer-specific workflows, licensing, and credentials must be validated before making career decisions.
2030 economic stress test
How Anthropic's scenarios classify Lighting Technicians
SOC 27-4015 places this role in the paper's cognitive occupation group. These group-level outcomes do not change the 26/100 role score and are not an occupation forecast.
+0.4% group wage
-0.5% cognitive employment since mid-2026; 2.9% cognitive unemployment.
Economy-wide: +1.6% GDP and 3.9% unemployment.
-0.3% group wage
-3.9% cognitive employment since mid-2026; 4.5% cognitive unemployment.
Economy-wide: +8.3% GDP and 4.6% unemployment.
-11.5% group wage
-21.5% cognitive employment since mid-2026; 17.9% cognitive unemployment.
Economy-wide: +32.4% GDP and 11.9% unemployment.
Compare the assumptions and limitations across all three scenarios. Source: The Anthropic Institute Working Paper No. 2026-02.
Official task evidence
O*NET task matches for Lighting Technicians
The current evidence import matched 16 task statements from Task Statements 31.0 (August 2026). These rows are used as a grounding layer for judging which parts of the occupation are repeatable, language-heavy, analytical, social, physical, or compliance-sensitive.
Dataset31.0 (August 2026)
Matched tasks16
SOC27-4015
- n/a task / ID 22673
Assess safety of wiring or equipment set-up to determine the risk of fire or electrical shock.
- n/a task / ID 22674
Consult with lighting director or production staff to determine lighting requirements.
- n/a task / ID 22675
Disassemble and store equipment after performances.
- n/a task / ID 22676
Install color effects or image patterns, such as color filters, onto lighting fixtures.
- n/a task / ID 22677
Install electrical cables or wire fixtures.
- n/a task / ID 22678
Load, unload, or position lighting equipment.
Source: O*NET Resource Center, Task Statements. Raw import target: data/raw/onet/task-statements-31-0.txt.
Task profile
Where AI changes the work
Rig and focus lighting equipment
Exposure 20, automation 8%, augmentation 30%.
O*NET evidence: Set up and focus light fixtures to meet requirements of television, theater, concerts, ... (ID 22685)
Program and run lighting cues
Exposure 48, automation 30%, augmentation 62%.
Maintain and repair fixtures
Exposure 26, automation 11%, augmentation 40%.
O*NET evidence: Install color effects or image patterns, such as color filters, onto lighting fixtures. (ID 22676)
Coordinate with directors on looks
Exposure 28, automation 9%, augmentation 48%.
TaskExposureAutomationAugmentation
Rig and focus lighting equipment208%30%
Program and run lighting cues4830%62%
Maintain and repair fixtures2611%40%
Coordinate with directors on looks289%48%
Transition pathways
Adjacent moves that preserve existing skills
credentialed transition
LowLighting Designer
Training horizon: 6-12 months. Skill overlap 66. Wage preservation signal 114.
- Build a design portfolio
- Assist established designers
- Learn design software deeply
role redesign
LowMaster Electrician
Training horizon: 2-5 months. Skill overlap 76. Wage preservation signal 108.
- Own rigging safety
- Manage lighting crews
- Lead power distribution planning
Comparison guides
Compare the next move before you commit
6-12 months
Lighting Technicians to Lighting Designer
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Lighting Technicians into Lighting Designer.
2-5 months
Lighting Technicians to Master Electrician
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Lighting Technicians into Master Electrician.
What the AI risk score means for Lighting Technicians
The displacement pressure score for Lighting Technicians is 26. That score blends task exposure, automation pressure, augmentation potential, wage vulnerability, transition feasibility, and source confidence. It is designed to help workers and workforce teams decide where to act first, not to claim a specific date when a job will disappear.
For this role, the clearest risk pattern is visible at the task level. Program and run lighting cues carries 30% automation pressure, while Program and run lighting cues carries 62% augmentation potential. That means the best response is usually a targeted redesign of work: move away from repeatable production tasks and toward judgment, exception handling, coordination, stakeholder context, and accountable use of AI tools.
Labor-market context and wage risk
Median wage: $68,060 (May 2025, US national). Employment context: Live and studio production role with physical rigging core. Typical education: Technical training or on-the-job experience.
Wage vulnerability is 58, while transition feasibility is 62. A high wage-vulnerability score means workers should pay close attention to salary preservation before making a move. A high transition-feasibility score means there are adjacent paths that can reuse existing skills without requiring a complete career reset.
- Low displacement pressure
- Control software automates playback
- Physical rigging stays human
Upskilling priorities
Skills that make this role more resilient
The safest upskilling plan starts with skills already close to the work. For Lighting Technicians, the strongest near-term skill priorities are listed below. These are useful whether the goal is to stay in the role, move to a redesigned version of the role, or transition into an adjacent occupation.
Rigging and electrical safety
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Console programming
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Design collaboration
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Equipment maintenance
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
90-day transition plan
The most practical next step is not to wait for a layoff or a full role redesign. Use the next 90 days to create evidence that you can operate in a safer, more AI-augmented version of the work.
- In the first 30 days, document the repetitive tasks in your current work and identify where AI can reduce drafting, lookup, classification, or reporting time.
- By 60 days, complete one small project connected to Lighting Designer, such as build a design portfolio.
- By 90 days, compare internal openings and external postings for Lighting Designer or Master Electrician and update your resume around measurable workflow outcomes.
FAQ
Questions about AI and Lighting Technicians
Will AI replace Lighting Technicians?
Lighting control software automates cue execution and effects programming, but rigging, focusing, and adapting to venues are physical work done at height with real electricity. The console runs the show; humans build and focus it. The better planning signal is not full replacement, but which tasks become automated, which tasks become AI-assisted, and which responsibilities still need human judgment.
Which parts of Lighting Technicians work are most exposed to AI?
Program and run lighting cues and Maintain and repair fixtures show the strongest automation pressure in this model. Program and run lighting cues and Coordinate with directors on looks are better treated as AI-augmented work.
What should Lighting Technicians learn next?
Start with Rigging and electrical safety, Console programming, Design collaboration. The most practical adjacent paths in this model are Lighting Designer and Master Electrician.
How should this score be used?
Use it as a planning signal, not a prediction. Confirm local hiring demand, wages, licensing, credentials, and employer adoption before making a career move.
Sources
Evidence trail
International Labour Organization / 20 May 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational ExposureO*NET Resource Center / Database 31.0 (August 2026)Occupation, Task, Skill, and Work-Activity DataUS Bureau of Labor Statistics / May 2025 estimates (released 15 May 2026)Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics