How to become an Audio and Video Technician
Official title: Audio and Video Technicians
Also called: Audio Technician, Audio Visual Specialist (AV Specialist), AV Tech (Audio Visual Technician), Media Technician, Operations Technician, Stagehand, Video Technician
Set up, maintain, and dismantle audio and video equipment, such as microphones, sound speakers, connecting wires and cables, sound and mixing boards, video cameras, video monitors and servers, and related electronic equipment for live or recorded events, such as concerts, meetings, conventions, presentations, podcasts, news conferences, and sporting events.
Main tasks
- Notify supervisors when major equipment repairs are needed.
- Diagnose and resolve media system problems.
- Direct and coordinate activities of assistants and other personnel during production.
- Compress, digitize, duplicate, and store audio and video data.
- Install, adjust, and operate electronic equipment to record, edit, and transmit radio and television programs, motion pictures, video conferencing, or multimedia presentations.
- Control the lights and sound of events, such as live concerts, before and after performances, and during intermissions.
- Switch sources of video input from one camera or studio to another, from film to live programming, or from network to local programming.
- Record and edit audio material, such as movie soundtracks, using audio recording and editing equipment.
How to become one
Broadcast, sound, and video technicians typically need postsecondary education. Depending on the work they do, educational requirements may vary.
Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Light Technician.
- Apprenticeship: Stage Technician.
- Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Agricultural Communication/Journalism; Photographic and Film/Video Technology/Technician; Recording Arts Technology/Technician
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $58,100 a year The middle half earn $46,390 to $77,560.
- About 87,600 people work in this job now, and about 91,100 are projected by 2035. (+3.9%)
- People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
Related jobs
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Questions people ask
How do I become an Audio and Video Technician?
Broadcast, sound, and video technicians typically need postsecondary education. Depending on the work they do, educational requirements may vary.
How much does an Audio and Video Technician earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $58,100 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $46,390 to $77,560.
Is an Audio and Video Technician a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 87,600 to about 91,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become an Audio and Video Technician?
Not always. 44% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Light Technician.
Will AI change the work of an Audio and Video Technician?
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.