Sound Engineering Technicians Career, Salary and Skills
Sound Engineering Technicians have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $73,130 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 13,080. Wage data is published for 78 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
27-4014.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$73,130
Hourly median
$35.16
Employment
13,080
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Speaking | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Operation and Control | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Monitoring | 3.12 | 3.38 |
Typical tasks
- Report equipment problems and ensure that required repairs are made.
- 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.
- 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.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Audition
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Apple macOS
- Audio editing software
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Avid Pro Tools
- Avid Technology audio visual editing software
- Avid Technology Pro Tools
- Cisco IOS
Sound Engineering Technicians salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in CAMedian $78,150 · Employment 4,060
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $77,850 · Employment 2,820
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in NYMedian $87,510 · Employment 2,050
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in New York, NYMedian $97,510 · Employment 1,960
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in TXMedian $54,370 · Employment 830
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in FLMedian $70,360 · Employment 590
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in ILMedian $73,130 · Employment 570
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in TNMedian $60,500 · Employment 510
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in San Francisco, CAMedian $94,990 · Employment 460
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $73,140 · Employment 450
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in Minneapolis, MNMedian $83,810 · Employment 380
- Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in Nashville, TNMedian $71,180 · Employment 320
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.