Lighting level (brightness level) is the mean illuminance in a room or at individual points in the room. It depends on the light emitted by the luminaires and by the reflectance of room surfaces. This means: the lower the reflectance and the more demanding the visual task – e.g. reading or doing needlework, cooking or performing tasks in the bathroom – the higher the illuminance needs to be to achieve a good lighting level.

A few examples of reflectance:
> white ceiling or wall up to 85%
> light-coloured wood panelling up to 50%
> red brick up to 25%
> black floor 0%

The term "lighting level" is also used where the key lighting variable is luminance, not illuminance, e.g. in road lighting.