Film Career · Electric
Electrician (Set Lighting Technician)
Electric · IATSE Local 728 (LA); craft locals elsewhere
- Union
- IATSE Local 728
- Day rate
- ~$250–$850/day
- Experience
- 0–2 yrs
What does an Electrician do?
Electricians run the power and rig the lights under the gaffer and best boy electric. The work spans generators and distribution, condor rigs, dimmer boards, and the endless cable that makes a night exterior possible. Entry to the department is commonly through the rigging crew.
What does an Electrician make?
- Day rate about $250-$850 (union scale around $54-$55 an hour), roughly $45K-$130K a year.
- Entry non-union runs $250-$350 a day; experienced union electricians reach six figures on steady shows with overtime.
Film work is gig based, so crew are paid a day or weekly rate rather than a salary. These are realistic 2024-2025 ranges grounded in union rate cards and industry data; actual pay swings with budget tier, market, overtime, and reputation.
Sources & how we estimate pay
Union scale is the floor; the ranges above also reflect market day rates above scale. They are grounded in the following 2024–2025 sources:
Union rate cards & wage schedules
Official guild scale — the floor each craft is paid from.
- IATSE — 2024 Basic Agreement wage scales (PDF) ↗
- IATSE Local 600 (International Cinematographers Guild) — camera rate cards ↗
- DGA — minimum salary rate cards (director, unit production manager, assistant directors) ↗
- WGA — schedule of minimums (writers) ↗
- SAG-AFTRA — theatrical & background rate sheets (cast, stunts, background) ↗
- Teamsters Local 399 — basic feature wage rates, 2024–27 (transportation, locations, wranglers) (PDF) ↗
On the job
- Rig, power, and adjust lighting instruments per the gaffer's plan
- Run distribution from generator to set safely and to code
- Operate boards, dimmers, and wireless control during shooting
- Maintain the package and keep the truck show-ready
You’ll like and be good at this job if:
Hard skills
- You know power distribution, rigging, and lighting instruments
- You can work safely around electricity and heights
Soft skills
- You like being part of a tight crew executing a plan
- You are physical and dependable
Career progression
Electrician is the entry rung of a clear ladder: set lighting technician, then best boy electric, then gaffer. Rigging electric crews, which pre-light before the shooting company arrives, are both an entry point and a parallel career with its own ladder.
A typical path, from entry to the top of the craft. Times are rough and vary by market, luck, and how steadily the work comes.
- Production Assistant· 0-2 yrs
~$35K–$55K/yr
- Electrician (Set Lighting Technician)you are here· 3-6 yrs
~$45K–$130K/yr
- Best Boy (Electric and Grip)· 3-6 yrs
~$50K–$150K/yr
- Gaffer· peak of the craft
~$55K–$180K/yr
How do you become an Electrician?
Basic electrical knowledge and a willingness to haul cable start the career; the craft is taught on the job. Get onto rigging crews through the local or through gaffers hiring day players. Show up strong, learn the equipment, and the shooting crew calls follow.
On covered productions, rates, hours, and conditions for the role are set by IATSE Local 728 (LA); craft locals elsewhere contracts.
Covered by a union? The joining a film union guide explains how each one takes members.