Skip to content
AffordMap
Arts & Media

Lighting Technicians Salary in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

Lighting Technicians in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC make a median of $48,800 a year, or about $23.46 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $49,826 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month — about 51.5% of take-home, which is tight.

$49K
Median annual
$23.46/hr
Hourly rate
$28K
Entry level (10th %)
$65K
Senior level (90th %)

So what does $49K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?

Estimated take-home pay$3,247/mo
Rent (2BR median)-$1,713/mo
Rent as % of take-home52.8% ⚠ above 30% guideline
Groceries-$384/mo
Utilities-$192/mo
Transportation-$337/mo
Healthcare *-$223/mo
Left over$398/mo

Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.

Rentals in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Filter by your budget
View →
Rent too high? Buying might cost less
Compare mortgage rates from multiple lenders
Check rates →

About lighting technicians

U.S. employed: 80
Category: Arts & Media

Sponsored links — AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more

View jobs for Lighting Technicians
Currently hiring in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
View (opens in new tab)

Compensation breakdown

Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

Bar chart showing Lighting Technicians salary percentiles in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC: 10th percentile $28,310, 25th percentile $28,310, median $48,800, 75th percentile $54,410, 90th percentile $64,880. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.10th$28K25th$28KMedian$49K75th$54K90th$65K
Bar chart showing Lighting Technicians salary percentiles in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC: 10th percentile $28,310, 25th percentile $28,310, median $48,800, 75th percentile $54,410, 90th percentile $64,880. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Entry-level lighting technicians (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.

Share

Lighting Technicians pay across states

Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure

StateMedian salaryvs. nationalEmployment
Washington$110K+81%70
Hawaii$91K+49%40
New Jersey$83K+38%400
New York$83K+37%910
California$75K+23%3,330
District of Columbia$70K+16%60
Nevada$64K+6%350
Oklahoma$63K+5%50
Massachusetts$62K+2%120
New Hampshire$62K+2%40
New Mexico$61K+1%50
Georgia$59K-3%240
Tennessee$57K-5%410
Pennsylvania$57K-6%260
Michigan$55K-9%N/A
South Carolina$55K-10%40
Texas$54K-11%250
Virginia$52K-14%N/A
Utah$49K-19%140
Maryland$48K-20%220
Illinois$47K-22%230
Kansas$47K-23%70
Nebraska$46K-24%40
Indiana$46K-25%120
Oregon$45K-26%360
Ohio$43K-29%70
Missouri$42K-31%70
Florida$40K-34%1,240
North Carolina$39K-35%70
123

Showing 1–10 of 29 states

BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small

Track lighting technicians salary changes

BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk numbers change.

More openings for Lighting Technicians
Currently hiring in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
View (opens in new tab)
Build creative skills online
Design, UX, branding, and portfolio-building courses
View (opens in new tab)
Would this salary go further somewhere else?
Compare your purchasing power across cities
Compare →
How do you get into this field?
Education, licensing, and what the career path looks like
Read guide →

Related careers in Arts & Media

Frequently asked questions

How much do lighting technicians make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

The median is $48,800 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,310, and experienced lighting technicians can clear $64,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

Is $49K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,247/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 52.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.

How far does a lighting technicians salary go in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median lighting technicians salary is worth about $49,826 in national-average purchasing power.

Where do lighting technicians get paid the most?

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.

All careers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Top-paying jobs, rent, and cost of living
Location hub →

People also searched