As of March 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Lighting Designer in District of Columbia is $51,108, equivalent to $25 per hour, $983 weekly, or $4,259 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Lighting Designer in cities like Santa Clara, San Jose, and Fremont.

Annually Salaries for Lighting Designer in District of Columbia vary widely, spanning from $44,091 to $63,218. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($47,435) and 75th percentile ($57,447), while top earners (90th percentile) make $63,218 per year. This $10,012 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Attention to Detail or Housekeeping, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, District of Columbia Lighting Designer often earn 10.7% higher than national averages due to demand from Fortune 70 companies. However, District of Columbia currently ranks 1 nationwide for Lighting Designer job salary. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Lighting Designer Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Lighting Designer Salary $44,091 DC March 01, 2026
25th Percentile Lighting Designer Salary $47,435 DC March 01, 2026
50th Percentile Lighting Designer Salary $51,108 DC March 01, 2026
75th Percentile Lighting Designer Salary $57,447 DC March 01, 2026
90th Percentile Lighting Designer Salary $63,218 DC March 01, 2026
25% $47,435 10% $44,091 90% $63,218 75% $57,447 $51,108 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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Now Hiring – Architectural Lighting Designer

Oculus Light Studio - Washington, DC

Junior Lighting Designer - Architect

George Sexton Associates, LLC - Washington, DC

Senior Lighting Designer - Architect

George Sexton Associates, LLC - Washington, DC

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What is a Lighting Designer ?

A theatre lighting designer (or LD) works with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create the lighting, atmosphere, and time of day for the production in response to the text, while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety, and cost. The LD also works closely with the stage manager or show control programming, if show control systems are used in that production. Outside stage lighting, the job of a Lighting Designer can be much more diverse and they can be found working on rock and pop tours, corporate launches, art installation and on massi...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/17/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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Location Avg. Salary Date Updated
Location Naval Anacost Annex, DC Avg. Salary $57,157 Date Updated March 01, 2026
Location Parcel Return Service, DC Avg. Salary $57,157 Date Updated March 01, 2026
Location Washington, DC Avg. Salary $57,157 Date Updated March 01, 2026
Location Washington Navy Yard, DC Avg. Salary $57,157 Date Updated March 01, 2026
Job Openings for Lighting Designer in District of Columbia

Career Path for this job

  1. This Job:

    Lighting Designer

    1 - 3 years experience
    Associate's Degree

  2. Up a level:

    Creative Production Manager

    5 + years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

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