How to Become a Sound Engineering Technician
Set up, run and mix the sound for recordings, broadcasts, film and live events. It typically requires a postsecondary certificate, with a median salary of $73,130 per year and declining projected job growth.
Median pay
$73,130/yr
Middle half
$49,910 to $100,280
Job growth
Declining
Openings / yr
1,200
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Audio Mixing
- Signal Processing
- Equipment Setup
- Troubleshooting
Related careers
- Art Director$114,850 median
- Animator / Special Effects Artist$102,030 median
- Industrial Designer$83,910 median
- Fashion Designer$80,960 median
- Editor$77,920 median
- Writer / Author$76,910 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Sound Engineering Technician make?
The median pay for a Sound Engineering Technician is $73,130 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $49,910 and $100,280 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Sound Engineering Technician?
The usual entry point is a postsecondary certificate. Common majors are Music, Film and Media Production, and Audio Production.
Is Sound Engineering Technician a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is declining (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 1,200 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Sound Engineering Technician use most?
Common skills for this role are Audio Mixing, Signal Processing, Equipment Setup, and Troubleshooting.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).