How to become a Lighting Designer

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 灯光师

Handles lighting for stage shows, film and TV shoots and other art forms.

Main tasks

• Designing lighting for shows and productions with all kinds of lighting equipment and drawing lighting plots and renderings
• Choosing suitable lights and light sources
• Creating the lighting effects and atmosphere shows and productions need
• Directing the lighting crew
• Managing and maintaining the lighting system

Ways in

• University: Creative Arts & Design degrees, Offered by 87 universities in China Related undergraduate subject classes in the Ministry of Education catalogue (2025): Drama, Film and Television (1303); majors such as Theatre, Film and Television Art Design, Film and Television Cinematography and Production, Acting, Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Drama, Film and Television Literature. Matched to the occupation by Peernovo.
• Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Audio and Video Technology (560210). Vocational major 560210 Audio and Video Technology (音像技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Meter Installation and Connection.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Film and Television Lighting Technology and Art (560209). Vocational major 560209 Film and Television Lighting Technology and Art (影视照明技术与艺术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Digital Film and Television Visual Effects Production.

Pay

• Median pay in China: CN¥72,900 a year (2025).
• Middle half: CN¥50,000 to CN¥112,800. One in ten earn less than CN¥37,000 and one in ten more than CN¥172,000.
• This is the figure for the mid group Literature, Arts and Sports Professionals, not for this job alone.
• National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
• Guangzhou only: median CN¥103,606 a year (2025), middle half CN¥78,366 to CN¥109,200.

Who does this work

• The census group Literature, Arts and Sports Professionals holds 0.18% of everyone employed in China; 42.7% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
• 65.5% are under 35, 30.4% are 35 to 54 and 4.1% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 30 to 34.
• Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Related jobs

• Sound Designer and Recordist
• Production Designer
• Make Up Artist (Stage and Screen)
• Set Builder
• Costume and Props Supervisor
• Stage Manager

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Lighting Designer?

Ways in include: Creative Arts & Design degrees; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Audio and Video Technology (560210); Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Film and Television Lighting Technology and Art (560209).

How much does a Lighting Designer earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥72,900 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Literature, Arts and Sports Professionals. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥103,606 a year (2025).

Sources

• Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
• Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: Guangzhou 2025 labour market wage prices (P10 to P90 annual CNY by occupation) (2025 (enterprise pay survey)), retrieved 4 October 2026
• National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026