Media and Communication Equipment Workers

How to become a Sound Engineering Technician

Official title: Sound Engineering Technicians

Also called: Audio Engineer, Audio Operator, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Mixing Technician (Mixing Tech), Music Producer, Recording Engineer, Sound Editor, Sound Engineer, Sound Technician (Sound Tech)

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.

Main tasks

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.

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: Recording Engineer.
Apprenticeship: Sound Mixer.
Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Communications Technology/Technician; Recording Arts Technology/Technician; Audio Engineering Technology/Technician

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $73,130 a year The middle half earn $49,910 to $100,280.
About 15,000 people work in this job now, and about 14,600 are projected by 2035. (-3.1%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Sound Engineering Technician?

Broadcast, sound, and video technicians typically need postsecondary education. Depending on the work they do, educational requirements may vary.

How much does a Sound Engineering Technician earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $73,130 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $49,910 to $100,280.

Is a Sound Engineering Technician a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 15,000 to about 14,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Sound Engineering Technician?

Not always. 44% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Recording Engineer.

Will AI change the work of a Sound Engineering Technician?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

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.