Sound Engineering Technicians
Arts, Audio/Video Technology and CommunicationsO*NET 27-4014.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $70,183
- Projected change
- +6.6%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 19.81K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
32% of the workforce
Growing to 21.11K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What sound engineering technicians do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Keep logs of recordings.
- Tear down equipment after event completion.
- Synchronize and equalize prerecorded dialogue, music, and sound effects with visual action of motion pictures or television productions, using control consoles.
- Reproduce and duplicate sound recordings from original recording media, using sound editing and duplication equipment.
- Convert video and audio recordings into digital formats for editing or archiving.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $30,428
- 25th percentile
- $44,913
- 50th percentile
- $70,183
- 75th percentile
- $111,508
- 90th percentile
- $181,790
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $70,183 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+6.6%faster than average
202519,807 jobs
2035 projected21,114 jobs
1,307 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 32%
- Certificate
- 20%
- Bachelor's degree
- 20%
- Associate degree
- 12%
- Some college
- 8%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 8%
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.
- 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.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Sound Mixers379 postings
- 02Acoustical Consultants87 postings
- 03Audio Engineers83 postings
- 04Sound Recordistrecorders75 postings
- 05Sound Engineers65 postings
- 06Sound Designers64 postings
- 07Sound Technicians52 postings
- 08Audio Technicians47 postings
- 09Production Sound Mixers33 postings
- 10Audio Engineering Interns28 postings
- 11Mixers22 postings
- 12Sound Mixers/Boom Operators21 postings
- 13Recording Engineers16 postings
- 14Sound Operators14 postings
- 15Audio Operators13 postings
- 16Audio Recording Engineers13 postings
- 17Board Operators13 postings
- 18Boom Operators12 postings
- 19Acoustical Engineers10 postings
- 20Film Crews9 postings
Top employers
- 01Clark County School District56 postings
- 02YouTube42 postings
- 03Online Corporation Limited33 postings
- 04Backstage International Ltd31 postings
- 05Invite Only Studios24 postings
- 06Tlc16 postings
- 07Social Media 2.015 postings
- 08Glenmark Construction13 postings
- 09Acousti Engineering Company Of Florida12 postings
- 10Netflix12 postings
- 11RWS Global Enterprises12 postings
- 12Oxygen 2.011 postings
- 13NV510 postings
- 14Digital 2.09 postings
- 15Barrington Stage Company8 postings
- 16HBO8 postings
- 17Meta8 postings
- 18Artisan Ceiling Systems & Acoustical Specialties7 postings
- 19PetCo7 postings
- 20System One7 postings
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