Light Technicians

ANZSCO ID 399513

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
900
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
68%
Female Share
13%
Average age
34

Summary

Light Technicians position and control lighting equipment for film, television or video productions or stage performances.

Tasks

  • Positions equipment, such as spotlights, floodlights and cables, and operates lights during filming, broadcasting and stage performances.


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Performing Arts Technicians, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 68% of people employed as Light Technicians work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is similar to the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 49 hours per week in their main job. This is 5 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Arts and Recreation Services
36.3%
2
Information Media and Telecommunications
22.1%
3
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
5.6%
4
Public Administration and Safety
5.2%
5
Other industries
20.5%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

36.7% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

30.6% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

17.6% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.2% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

7.7% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.0% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.6% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.6% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Light Technicians All Jobs Average
NSW 36.7 31.6
VIC 30.6 25.6
QLD 17.6 20.0
SA 5.2 7.0
WA 7.7 10.8
TAS 1.0 2.0
NT 0.6 1.0
ACT 0.6 1.9


  • Around 77% of Light Technicians live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    New South Wales and Victoria have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
34
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
13%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Light Technicians is 34 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 13% of the workforce. This is 35 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Light Technicians All Jobs Average
15-19 4.4 5.0
20-24 17.7 9.3
25-34 29.9 22.9
35-44 22.4 22.0
45-54 15.0 21.6
55-59 5.5 9.0
60-64 3.4 6.0
65 and Over 1.7 4.2
Median Age 34 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Light Technician. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or a university degree in audio visual studies, screen and media studies or electrical.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Creative Arts and Culture VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Light Technicians All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 1.7 10.1
Bachelor degree 20.0 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 18.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 23.2 21.1
Year 12 26.0 18.1
Year 11 4.1 4.8
Year 10 and below 6.2 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Performing Arts Technicians who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 52%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 50%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 48%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 48%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 46%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 46%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 46%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 46%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 45%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 45%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 43%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 43%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 41%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 41%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 41%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 41%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 41%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 41%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 41%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 39%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 64%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 64%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 62%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 55%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 50%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 50%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 46%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 45%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 40%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 38%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 36%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 34%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 33%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 30%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 29%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 29%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 22%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 20%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 20%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 18%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 54%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 54%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 52%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 52%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 50%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 50%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 50%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 50%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 48%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 48%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 45%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 43%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 43%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 43%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 41%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 41%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 73%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 73%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 69%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 67%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 66%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 65%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 65%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 64%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 62%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 61%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 59%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 58%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 57%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 56%

    Working with electronic equipment

    Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing electronic devices and equipment.

  • 56%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 54%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 50%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 50%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 46%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 44%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 71%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 67%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 48%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 24%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 62%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 62%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 50%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 43%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 33%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 97%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 94%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 87%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 85%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 85%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 84%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 83%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 79%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 77%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 76%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 76%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 75%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 75%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 73%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 69%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 69%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 62%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 62%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 54%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

  • 53%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 27-4011.00 - Audio and Video Equipment Technicians.


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