Broadcast Technicians
Arts, Audio/Video Technology and CommunicationsO*NET 27-4012.00United States
Set up, operate, and maintain the electronic equipment used to acquire, edit, and transmit audio and video for radio or television programs. Control and adjust incoming and outgoing broadcast signals to regulate sound volume, signal strength, and signal clarity.
- Median annual earnings
- $58,876
- Projected change
- +0.6%
- Typical education
- Associate degree
- Employment
- 24.14K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
43.4% of the workforce
Growing to 24.29K by 2035
Explore this career by location
Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.
Showing United States
Loading available locations…
Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
Loading related ASU learning
The work
What broadcast technicians do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible.
- Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission.
- Monitor strength, clarity, and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals, and adjust equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts.
- Monitor and log transmitter readings.
- Observe monitors and converse with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing.
- Preview scheduled programs to ensure that signals are functioning and programs are ready for transmission.
- Play and record broadcast programs, using automation systems.
- Set up, operate, and maintain broadcast station computers and networks.
- Select sources from which programming will be received or through which programming will be transmitted.
- Install broadcast equipment, troubleshoot equipment problems, and perform maintenance or minor repairs, using hand tools.
- Substitute programs in cases where signals fail.
- Control audio equipment to regulate volume and sound quality during radio and television broadcasts.
- Design and modify equipment to employer specifications.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $29,693
- 25th percentile
- $39,194
- 50th percentile
- $58,876
- 75th percentile
- $85,867
- 90th percentile
- $132,631
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $58,876 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+0.6%average or slower
202524,136 jobs
2035 projected24,291 jobs
155 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Associate degree
- 43.4%
- Some college
- 26.6%
- High school diploma or less
- 17.4%
- Certificate
- 10.2%
- Bachelor's degree
- 2.4%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- 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.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Production Technicians441 postings
- 02Radio Frequency Test Technicians331 postings
- 03Broadcast Engineers244 postings
- 04Broadcast Technicians159 postings
- 05Radio Technicians150 postings
- 06Technicians150 postings
- 07Master Control Operators125 postings
- 08Engineering Technicians88 postings
- 09Operations Technicians82 postings
- 10General Technicians56 postings
- 11Board Operators54 postings
- 12Systems Technicians54 postings
- 13Social Media Content Producers50 postings
- 14Audio Technicians43 postings
- 15Control Room Operators43 postings
- 16Radio Frequency Technicians43 postings
- 17Electronics Technicians42 postings
- 18Radio Engineers42 postings
- 19Technical Directors42 postings
- 20Test Technicians42 postings
Top employers
- 01Primo Brands Corporation83 postings
- 02Walt Disney66 postings
- 03Fox News Network59 postings
- 04Nexstar Media Group59 postings
- 05Baxter International53 postings
- 06Actalent52 postings
- 07Insight Global52 postings
- 08Pearson Education50 postings
- 09Aggreko45 postings
- 10Day Wireless Systems40 postings
- 11BAE Systems25 postings
- 12Cox Media Group25 postings
- 13Lockheed Martin25 postings
- 14NBC22 postings
- 15Paramount Pictures22 postings
- 16TEKsystems22 postings
- 17Aerotek21 postings
- 18E.W. Scripps20 postings
- 19Cumulus Media19 postings
- 20Graymedia19 postings
Keep looking