Lighting Artist Salary (2026)
The median lighting artist in the games industry earns $123,869 per year with 6–10 years of experience (global, base salary in USD), with most offers falling between $99k and $155k.
Figures are based on 14+ anonymous community salary reports and public industry surveys, resolved per experience band. Rows marked model estimate have no direct survey data yet — submit your salary to improve them. See the methodology for how numbers are computed.
Salary by experience (global)
| Experience | Low | Median | High | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 years | $37,664 | $41,040 | $44,416 | Community datan=3 |
| 3–5 years | $56,993 | $67,898 | $78,868 | Community datan=11 |
| 6–10 years | $99,095 | $123,869 | $154,836 | Industry reportn=505 |
| 11–15 years | $81,032 | $129,443 | $157,920 | Industry report |
| 16+ years | $108,788 | $135,985 | $169,981 | Industry report |
Salary by region
Median base salary (USD) for the best-covered experience band per region — bands differ where coverage differs. US buying power converts that figure to what it buys locally (World Bank 2023 price levels, see methodology).
| Region | Median | Experience | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | $124,000 | 6–10 years | Industry reportn=505 |
| Asia Pacific | $76,265 | 3–5 years | Industry report |
| United Kingdom · Western Europe · Nordic Countries · Eastern Europe | $57,661 | 6–10 years | Industry report |
| Rest of World | $55,660 | 3–5 years | Community datan=4 |
Open lighting artist jobs
Recent listings from games-industry job boards:
Sources used on this page
- Community data — public community salary datasets, individual reports shared with us, and anonymous submissions on this site (2018–2026).
- GDC State of the Game Industry 2025 — Annual survey by Game Developers Conference / Informa.
- 8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 — Games-industry recruitment agency salary report. Cited with permission.
- Skillsearch Games & Immersive Salary and Satisfaction Report 2026 — Annual survey by games recruitment agency Skillsearch. Cited with permission.