Sound Engineering Technicians: Career Profile
Assemble and operate equipment to record, synchronize, mix, edit, or reproduce sound, including music, voices, or sound effects, for theater, video, film, television, podcasts, sporting events, and other productions.
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What Do Sound Engineering Technicians Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of sound engineering technicians include:
- Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.
- Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
- Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.
- Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage.
- Set up, test, and adjust recording equipment for recording sessions and live performances.
- Report equipment problems and ensure that required repairs are made.
- Prepare for recording sessions by performing such activities as selecting and setting up microphones.
- Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards.
What Sound Engineering Technicians Need to Know
Effective sound engineering technicians combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Acoustical Consultant
- Acoustical Engineer
- Audio DSP Engineer (Audio Digital Signal Processor Engineer)
- Audio Engineer
- Audio Operator
- Audio Recording Engineer
- Audio Technician (Audio Tech)
- Audio Video Engineer
How Many Sound Engineering Technicians Are There?
There are about 295,507 sound engineering technicians working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -0.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Sound Engineering Technicians
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $66,427 |
| Hourly median | $31.94 |
| 10th percentile | $44,644 |
| 25th percentile | $55,536 |
| 75th percentile | $77,319 |
| 90th percentile | $88,210 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Sound Engineering Technicians Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $111,580 |
| Washington | $110,950 |
| District of Columbia | $101,550 |
| Arizona | $97,380 |
| New York | $87,180 |
| Nevada | $81,720 |
| California | $78,020 |
| Alabama | $77,420 |
| Maryland | $71,310 |
| Tennessee | $69,990 |
| Colorado | $66,580 |
| New Hampshire | $62,400 |
| Florida | $62,310 |
| Minnesota | $62,050 |
| Massachusetts | $61,650 |
| Nebraska | $60,680 |
| Texas | $59,370 |
| New Mexico | $59,190 |
| Indiana | $58,040 |
| Ohio | $57,630 |
| North Carolina | $57,550 |
| Connecticut | $57,050 |
| Illinois | $56,340 |
| Oklahoma | $55,920 |
| Montana | $54,830 |
| Kentucky | $54,070 |
| Pennsylvania | $53,970 |
| Georgia | $52,650 |
| Louisiana | $52,240 |
| Michigan | $51,790 |
| Wisconsin | $50,980 |
| Oregon | $50,220 |
| Iowa | $50,220 |
| Missouri | $48,800 |
| Virginia | $47,580 |
| South Carolina | $42,370 |
| Utah | $32,880 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,790 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for sound engineering technicians differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $85,518 | 20.4% | 1.66 |
| Far Western US | $80,205 | 34.3% | 2.29 |
| Southwest | $73,330 | 5.2% | 0.57 |
| New England | $61,180 | 2.2% | 0.67 |
| Southeast | $60,160 | 17.2% | 0.98 |
| Great Lakes | $55,769 | 12.5% | 1.04 |
| Plains States | $51,940 | 3.4% | 0.96 |
| Rocky Mountains | $44,937 | 4.0% | 1.62 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Sound Engineering Technicians
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $119,600 | 290 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $98,220 | 340 |
| Syracuse, NY | NY | $97,850 | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $92,630 | 1,500 |
| Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | TN | $85,690 | 330 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | NY | $83,080 | 70 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | NV | $80,470 | 140 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $77,620 | 2,800 |
Top Industries Employing Sound Engineering Technicians
The largest employers of sound engineering technicians work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Information | 6,750 | $77,590 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 2,200 | $58,380 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 680 | $91,170 |
| Educational Services | 650 | $46,770 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 540 | $97,450 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 370 | $34,320 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 180 | $56,340 |
| Manufacturing | 130 | $86,880 |
Below are examples of industries where sound engineering technicians work:
Software Sound Engineering Technicians Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- File versioning software: Git (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for sound engineering technicians is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Level of Competition
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Getting Started in This Career
Most sound engineering technicians positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Software Developers (Supplemental)
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer (Supplemental)
- Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists (Supplemental)
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (Primary-Short)
- Robotics Technicians (Supplemental)
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians (Primary-Long)
- Producers and Directors (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for sound engineering technicians often complete programs in:
Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services
2 programs across 2 majors
Visual and Performing Arts
1 programs across 1 majors
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 27-4014.00 (Sound Engineering Technicians).
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