How much does a Special Effects Technician make in Sun, LA?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Special Effects Technician in Sun, LA is $51,456 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $25.
However, a Special Effects Technician's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $60,504
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $49,232 to $56,192
Key Factors That Influence Special Effects Technician Salaries
A Special Effects Technician's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Special Effects Technician Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Special Effects Technician's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $71,515
San Francisco: $70,732
Oakland: $69,241
San Jose, CA$71,515
San Francisco, CA$70,732
Oakland, CA$69,241
New York, NY$65,283
Paramus, NJ$64,489
Queens Village, NY$64,486
Passaic, NJ$64,432
Bergenfield, NJ$64,427
Stamford, CT$64,303
Huntington, NY$64,279
Newark, NJ$63,860
Bridgeport, CT$63,741
Vallejo, CA$63,628
New Brunswick, NJ$63,605
Petaluma, CA$63,571
Middlesex, NJ$63,463
Somerset, NJ$63,424
Santa Cruz, CA$63,350
Boston, MA$63,004
Monterey, CA$62,805
Seattle, WA$62,675
Santa Rosa, CA$62,664
Los Angeles, CA$62,647
Juneau, AK$62,500
Washington, DC$62,437
Orange, CA$62,235
Santa Ana, CA$62,086
Long Beach, CA$62,029
Anaheim, CA$62,018
Anchorage, AK$61,989
Santa Maria, CA$61,819
Everett, WA$61,808
Danbury, CT$61,608
Bremerton, WA$61,530
Tacoma, WA$61,326
New Suffolk, NY$61,325
Sacramento, CA$61,309
Santa Barbara, CA$61,246
Trenton, NJ$61,184
San Diego, CA$61,184
Brockton, MA$61,122
Fairbanks, AK$60,983
Lompoc, CA$60,838
Lowell, MA$60,792
Ventura, CA$60,782
Nashua, NH$60,770
Stockton, CA$60,765
Modesto, CA$60,351
Poughkeepsie, NY$60,226
Olympia, WA$60,118
Kennewick, WA$60,118
New Haven, CT$60,095
Lawrence, MA$59,891
Hartford, CT$59,835
Riverside, CA$59,823
New Bedford, MA$59,767
Richland, WA$59,767
Bakersfield, CA$59,687
San Bernardino, CA$59,665
New Britain, CT$59,659
Atlantic City, NJ$59,659
New London, CT$59,636
Norwich, CT$59,619
Portsmouth, NH$59,608
Boulder, CO$59,488
Portland, OR$59,409
Worcester, MA$59,404
Minneapolis, MN$59,228
Philadelphia, PA$59,149
Honolulu, HI$58,961
Saint Paul, MN$58,934
Vineland, NJ$58,922
Providence, RI$58,757
Chicago, IL$58,593
Bellingham, WA$58,525
Springfield, MA$58,480
Baltimore, MD$58,463
Chico, CA$58,321
Pittsfield, MA$58,168
Manchester, NH$58,060
Spokane, WA$57,811
Denver, CO$57,805
Albany, NY$57,538
Troy, NY$57,516
Nassau, NY$57,455
Schenectady, NY$57,397
Wilmington, DE$57,351
Burlington, VT$57,272
Salem, OR$57,249
Portland, ME$57,073
Yakima, WA$57,017
Rochester, MN$56,841
Reno, NV$56,813
Fresno, CA$56,813
Milwaukee, WI$56,762
Detroit, MI$56,705
Ann Arbor, MI$56,695
Allentown, PA$56,688
Colorado Springs, CO$56,591
Syracuse, NY$56,563
Carson City, NV$56,563
Houston, TX$56,484
Eugene, OR$56,455
Gary, IN$56,387
Springfield, OR$56,342
Bismarck, ND$56,331
Galveston, TX$56,291
Medford, OR$56,206
Fort Collins, CO$56,183
Concord, NH$56,155
Austin, TX$56,138
Mesa, AZ$56,019
Reading, PA$56,013
Phoenix, AZ$56,007
Dallas, TX$55,990
Saint Cloud, MN$55,936
Madison, WI$55,860
Utica, NY$55,707
Rochester, NY$55,616
Des Moines, IA$55,611
Raleigh, NC$55,605
Atlanta, GA$55,520
Battle Creek, MI$55,503
Salt Lake City, UT$55,486
Lancaster, PA$55,401
Harrisburg, PA$55,321
Kansas City, MO$55,265
Champaign, IL$55,253
Kansas City, KS$55,253
Fort Worth, TX$55,248
Columbus, OH$55,238
Boca Raton, FL$55,225
Pittsburgh, PA$55,202
Richmond, VA$55,180
Indianapolis, IN$55,168
Cleveland, OH$55,163
Las Vegas, NV$55,095
Cincinnati, OH$55,095
Petersburg, VA$55,010
Huntsville, AL$54,925
Lansing, MI$54,887
Lebanon, PA$54,879
Pueblo, CO$54,873
Appleton, WI$54,856
Buffalo, NY$54,834
Dayton, OH$54,817
Racine, WI$54,805
Charlotte, NC$54,800
Saint Louis, MO$54,783
York, PA$54,749
Elkhart, IN$54,749
Gastonia, NC$54,738
Billings, MT$54,724
Beaumont, TX$54,709
Lorain, OH$54,698
Benton Harbor, MI$54,686
Toledo, OH$54,675
Binghamton, NY$54,647
Rock Hill, SC$54,641
Rockford, IL$54,613
Springfield, IL$54,590
Elyria, OH$54,584
Fargo, ND$54,584
Flagstaff, AZ$54,545
Fort Lauderdale, FL$54,511
Duluth, MN$54,477
Miami, FL$54,477
Cheyenne, WY$54,437
Grand Forks, ND$54,437
Bangor, ME$54,312
Cedar Rapids, IA$54,250
Durham, NC$54,226
Louisville, KY$54,221
Grand Rapids, MI$54,210
Hialeah, FL$54,204
Casper, WY$54,125
Scranton, PA$54,057
New Orleans, LA$54,040
Virginia Beach, VA$54,034
Akron, OH$54,006
Peoria, IL$53,932
Sarasota, FL$53,921
Nashville, TN$53,881
Omaha, NE$53,881
Green Bay, WI$53,881
Baton Rouge, LA$53,853
Charleston, SC$53,842
Jamestown, NY$53,813
Davenport, IA$53,813
Tucson, AZ$53,785
Saint Petersburg, FL$53,751
Tampa, FL$53,740
Evansville, IN$53,705
Port Arthur, TX$53,705
Bradenton, FL$53,683
Santa Fe, NM$53,581
Orlando, FL$53,479
Clearwater, FL$53,462
Canton, OH$53,343
La Crosse, WI$53,343
Albuquerque, NM$53,309
Newport News, VA$53,303
High Point, NC$53,286
Ogden, UT$53,263
Corpus Christi, TX$53,218
Norfolk, VA$53,184
Laramie, WY$53,184
Rock Island, IL$53,150
Saginaw, MI$53,138
Jacksonville, FL$53,133
Salisbury, NC$53,121
Boise, ID$53,110
Moline, IL$53,082
Fort Myers, FL$53,065
Memphis, TN$53,053
Tulsa, OK$53,025
Waterloo, IA$52,991
Spartanburg, SC$52,934
Lincoln, NE$52,906
Fort Wayne, IN$52,895
Provo, UT$52,889
Cedar Falls, IA$52,821
San Antonio, TX$52,798
Greensboro, NC$52,776
South Bend, IN$52,770
Savannah, GA$52,708
Muskegon, MI$52,685
Birmingham, AL$52,679
Winston Salem, NC$52,651
Lake Charles, LA$52,515
Anderson, IN$52,503
Lexington, KY$52,486
Augusta, GA$52,469
Greenville, SC$52,469
Lima, OH$52,424
Wichita, KS$52,418
Tuscaloosa, AL$52,418
Columbia, SC$52,367
Springfield, OH$52,356
Asheville, NC$52,265
Bloomington, IN$52,226
Knoxville, TN$52,022
Shreveport, LA$52,016
Wilmington, NC$51,942
Roanoke, VA$51,942
Topeka, KS$51,840
Frankfort, KY$51,834
Oklahoma City, OK$51,795
Chillicothe, OH$51,772
Longview, TX$51,766
Melbourne, FL$51,761
Sioux Falls, SD$51,670
Mobile, AL$51,664
Terre Haute, IN$51,642
Altoona, PA$51,608
Amarillo, TX$51,568
Killeen, TX$51,551
Fayetteville, AR$51,506
Chattanooga, TN$51,489
Sioux City, IA$51,438
Idaho Falls, ID$51,426
Lynchburg, VA$51,381
Gainesville, FL$51,307
Portsmouth, OH$51,279
Little Rock, AR$51,267
Lafayette, LA$51,245
Youngstown, OH$51,245
Daytona Beach, FL$51,211
Clarksville, TN$51,205
Pensacola, FL$51,199
Temple, TX$51,195
Hopkinsville, KY$51,029
Erie, PA$51,018
Florence, SC$50,995
Charleston, WV$50,905
Great Falls, MT$50,876
Macon, GA$50,797
Tallahassee, FL$50,791
Fayetteville, NC$50,780
Waco, TX$50,768
Helena, MT$50,729
Pine Bluff, AR$50,707
Vincennes, IN$50,638
Lubbock, TX$50,615
Alamogordo, NM$50,581
Twin Falls, ID$50,530
Rapid City, SD$50,513
Jackson, MS$50,411
Huntington, WV$50,407
Greenville, MS$50,406
Parkersburg, WV$50,348
Montgomery, AL$50,338
Wichita Falls, TX$50,281
Springfield, MO$50,281
Biloxi, MS$50,253
Monroe, LA$50,196
Johnstown, PA$50,156
Sumter, SC$50,133
Columbus, GA$50,128
Pascagoula, MS$50,020
Abilene, TX$50,020
Kingsport, TN$49,873
Albany, GA$49,873
Gulfport, MS$49,856
Alexandria, LA$49,668
Fort Smith, AR$49,527
El Paso, TX$49,374
Las Cruces, NM$49,119
Harlingen, TX$48,975
Pocatello, ID$48,965
Florence, AL$48,892
Brownsville, TX$48,880
Mcallen, TX$48,761
Dothan, AL$48,682
Columbus, MS$48,345
Altus, OK$48,081
Lawton, OK$47,973
Pierre, SD$47,769
What Skills Can Increase a Special Effects Technician's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Storytelling (Mentioned in 5.61% Job Postings): Planning, creating and presenting stories or narratives to achieve diverse personal and business goals.
Photoshop (Mentioned in 2.21% Job Postings): Photoshop is an image creation, graphic design and photo editing software developed by Adobe. It is used to demonstrate knowledge of image resolution, image size, and image file format for web, video, and print.
Competitive Environment (Mentioned in 1.54% Job Postings): Ability to gather, analyze, and communicate information about the competitive business market.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Special Effects Technician's salary.
Economics: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Content Development: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Special Effects Technician Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Special Effects Technician roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and Aerospace & Defense
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average.
In contrast, Special Effects Technician positions in Telecom or Transportation typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Special Effects Technician as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Special Effects Technician
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$77,184
$37.0
50%
Special Effects Technician Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Special Effects Technician's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Yearly
Monthly
Weekly
Hourly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$49,232
Average$51,456/year
$56,192
$4,103
Average$4,288/month
$4,683
$947
Average$990/week
$1,081
$24
Average$25/hour
$27
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$56,192
$4,683
$1,081
$27
Average
$51,456
$4,288
$990
$25
25th Percentile
$49,232
$4,103
$947
$24
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources.
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