How much does a Lighting Designer make in Chicago, IL?

As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Lighting Designer in Chicago, IL is $47,117. According to Salary.com, salaries can range from a low of $40,838 to a high of $56,315, with most professionals earning between $43,831 and $51,932.

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 $40,838 Chicago,IL April 01, 2025
25th Percentile Lighting Designer Salary $43,831 Chicago,IL April 01, 2025
50th Percentile Lighting Designer Salary $47,117 Chicago,IL April 01, 2025
75th Percentile Lighting Designer Salary $51,932 Chicago,IL April 01, 2025
90th Percentile Lighting Designer Salary $56,315 Chicago,IL April 01, 2025
25% $43,831 10% $40,838 90% $56,315 75% $51,932 $47,117 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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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

See user submitted job responsibilities for Lighting Designer.

Job Openings for Lighting Designer in Chicago, IL

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

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Lighting Designer, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
43831
51932
47117

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
43831
51932
47117
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Lighting Designer in Chicago, IL. The base salary for Lighting Designer ranges from $43,831 to $51,932 with the average base salary of $47,117. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $43,831 to $51,932 with the average total cash compensation of $47,117.

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43831
51932

 

About Chicago, Illinois    Chicago (/ʃɪˈkɑːɡoʊ/ (listen), locally also /-ˈkɔː-/), officially the City of Chicago, is the most populous city in Illinois, as well as the third mos....More

Chicago, Illinois  area prices were up 0.8% from a year ago

Lighting Designer Salary in popular cities: AuroraRockfordJoliet

Skills associated with Lighting Designer: Design

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