Audiovisual Communications

Types of Degrees Audiovisual Communications Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many audiovisual communications graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	89

What Audiovisual Communications Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, audiovisual majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Audiovisual Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in audiovisual should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Skills for Audiovisual Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to audiovisual:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Audiovisual Majors

A major in audiovisual will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

What Can You Do With a Audiovisual Communications Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with audiovisual:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Audio and Video Equipment Technicians	12.8%	$43,770
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Motion Picture	7.2%	$54,570
Film and Video Editors	17.0%	$62,650
Sound Engineering Technicians	6.5%	$52,390

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Audiovisual Communications?

This major attracts more men than women. About 61% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of audiovisual majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2
Black or African American	12
Hispanic or Latino	5
White	28
International Students	35
Other Races/Ethnicities	7

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Audiovisual. About 39.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• Venezuela
• Canada
• India

How Much Do Audiovisual Communications Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in audiovisual was $36,574 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $29,329 (25th percentile) and $43,818 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to audiovisual.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $48,940 to $63,500 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to audiovisual. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Audiovisual Communications

Some degrees associated with audiovisual may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for audiovisual careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	2.4%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	21.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	14.5%
Some College Courses	15.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	25.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	22.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.8%

Online Audiovisual Communications Programs

In 2020-2021, 332 schools offered a audiovisual program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	163	3
Certificate (2-4 Years)	4	0
Associate’s Degree	246	3
Bachelor’s Degree	2	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	8	1
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Audiovisual Communications Worth It?

The median salary for a audiovisual grad is $61,750 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 55% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $437,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Audiovisual Communications

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to audiovisual.

Major	Number of Grads
Graphic Communications	460
Communications Technology	21
Other Communication Technology	15

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Joalpe under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.