Lighting fixture manufacturers design, develop, and make luminaires (“lighting fixtures”). They range from small shops that produce decorative or custom luminaires to very large companies that manufacture a wide range of luminaires and other products.
Luminaire designers generally have a background in industrial design or the fine arts. It is important that they understand the physics of light and are able to apply design principles to the development of luminaires. From very artistic designs using hand-blown glass to highly technical designs incorporating sophisticated light sources and optics, luminaire design can be an exciting challenge because it is not nearly as easy as it looks.
But there are many other jobs in luminaire manufacturing, such as: illuminating engineering; industrial engineering; regional, national and international sales and marketing; applications engineering; accounting; information technology; business planning; and management. Many of the largest lighting manufacturing companies in North America have annual gross sales over $1 billion. These are often multi-national companies that offer significant personal growth as well as an attractive income for lifetime career opportunities. And for entrepreneurs, small lighting companies provide a chance to build and grow a company in an industry segment in which a good design and a modest investment can lead to success.
Educational Requirements: A degree in lighting design or a related field is recommended for many of the jobs in this field, but there are also excellent opportunities for marketing, communications, education, manufacturing engineering, testing, purchasing, product design and engineering as well as for business and computer science majors.