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AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Lighting Technicians?
Task-level automation exposure for Lighting Technicians: 16 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
22%
weighted task index
16 of 16 tasks scored
Median Salary
$68,060 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Low
8,900 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
-4.8%
employment change
600 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 28 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$38,400 – $126,100
Highest medians
Washington $126,100
California $94,070
New Jersey $87,550
New York $78,000
Connecticut $72,450
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $38,400
Missouri $41,900
South Carolina $46,720
Kansas $48,790
Utah $49,080
State figures come from the 27-4015 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 22%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 63%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 0%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 0%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Constituent Task Mix
16 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 6%
1 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 19%
3 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 75%
12 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#22673 · Core · 20% automatable
Assess safety of wiring or equipment set-up to determine the risk of fire or electrical shock.
visual inspection — Hands-on safety inspection of physical equipment
Inspect equipment to ensure safety or proper functioning.
#22674 · Core · 55% automatable
Consult with lighting director or production staff to determine lighting requirements.
interpersonal — Collaborative spec-setting requires human negotiation
Collaborate with others to determine design specifications or details.
#22675 · Core · 8% automatable
Disassemble and store equipment after performances.
physical manipulation — Disassembly requires hands-on tool use
Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.
#22676 · Core · 5% automatable
Install color effects or image patterns, such as color filters, onto lighting fixtures.
physical manipulation — Hands-on accessory attachment
Attach equipment extensions or accessories.
#22677 · Core · 8% automatable
Install electrical cables or wire fixtures.
physical manipulation — Electrical installation is hands-on licensed trade work
Install electrical components, equipment, or systems.
#22678 · Core · 5% automatable
Load, unload, or position lighting equipment.
physical manipulation — Physical camera setup
Load materials or equipment. Unload materials or equipment. Set up still or video cameras or related equipment.
#22679 · Core · 15% automatable
Match light fixture settings, such as brightness and color, to lighting design plans.
physical manipulation — Physical calibration to specifications
Calibrate equipment to specifications.
#22680 · Core · 65% automatable
Notify supervisors when major lighting equipment repairs are needed.
text generation — Equipment problem notification is routine messaging
Notify others of equipment problems.
#22681 · Core · 20% automatable
Operate manual or automated systems to control lighting throughout productions.
physical manipulation — Console operation requires live physical adjustment
Operate control consoles for sound, lighting or video.
#22682 · Core · 10% automatable
Patch or wire lights to dimmers or other electronic consoles.
physical manipulation — Running wiring is hands-on installation
Run wiring to connect equipment.
#22683 · Core · 18% automatable
Perform minor repairs or routine maintenance on lighting equipment, such as replacing lamps or damaged color filters.
physical manipulation — Physical repair of electrical equipment
Repair electrical equipment.
#22684 · Core · 35% automatable
Program lighting consoles or load automated lighting control systems onto consoles.
decision support — Programming production equipment needs physical setup and verification
Program equipment to perform production tasks. Install computer hardware.
#22685 · Core · 6% automatable
Set up and focus light fixtures to meet requirements of television, theater, concerts, or other productions.
physical manipulation — Physical camera setup
Set up still or video cameras or related equipment.
#22686 · Core · 7% automatable
Set up scaffolding or cranes to assist with setting up of lighting equipment.
physical manipulation — Hands-on positioning of safety equipment in field
Position safety or support equipment. Set up material handling gear or equipment, such as rigging, packaging, or temporary structures.
#22687 · Core · 30% automatable
Test lighting equipment function and desired lighting effects.
data analysis — AI interprets results; human runs physical tests
Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.
#22688 · Core · 45% automatable
Visit and assess structural and electrical layout of locations before setting up lighting equipment.
situated mobility — Work conditions require physical site assessment
Gather information about work conditions or locations.
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How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
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