← All careers

Creative & Media

Sound Engineering Technicians

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 salary

$66,430

Typical range

$37k – $135k

Job outlook

See national outlook

AI exposure

Plan a path to Sound Engineering Technicians

Education

Typical entry: Associate degree

Plan my path to this →

Typical progression

  1. Junior Sound Engineering Technicians

    Entry / Junior

    $36,600

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Sound Engineering Technicians

    Established

    $66,430

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Sound Engineering Technicians

    Senior

    $100,705

Key skills

A typical day

  • 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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Creative & Media

Explore all

Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.