Sound Engineering Technicians Salary
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations · 13K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$73,130
Median hourly
$35
Average annual
$81,390
Typical range
$37,570–$137,370
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Sound Engineering Technicians is $73,130 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $35 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $37,570 and $137,370 a year. There are roughly 13K people employed as sound engineering technicians in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Sound Engineering Technicians.
- Hourly
- $35.16
- Daily
- $281
- Weekly
- $1,406
- Bi-weekly
- $2,813
- Monthly
- $6,094
- Annual
- $73,130
$73,130 a year is around the 50th percentile for Sound Engineering Technicianss. The median is $73,130.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1New Jersey$115,190
- 2District of Columbia$106,630
- 3New York$87,510
- 4Nevada$84,570
- 5Maryland$79,990
- 6California$78,150
- 7Georgia$77,010
- 8Kentucky$74,100
- 9Illinois$73,130
- 10Indiana$73,130
- 11Connecticut$72,800
- 12Florida$70,360
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$97,510
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$94,990
- 3Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$86,610
- 4Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$83,810
- 5Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV$81,840
- 6Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$79,990
- 7Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$77,850
- 8Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$77,420
- 9Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$76,260
- 10Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$76,050
- 11Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$74,890
- 12Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$74,100
Related job titles
Employers advertise Sound Engineering Technicians roles under these titles.
- Acoustical Engineer
- Audio Recording Engineer
- Audio Video Engineer
- Disc Recordist
- Dub Room Engineer
- Film Recordist
- Film Sound Coordinator
- Film Sound Engineer
- Mastering Engineer
- Mechanic Sound Technician
- Mechanical Sound Technician
- Mixing Engineer
- Music Engineer
- Musical Engineer
- Play Back Operator
- Public Address System Installer
Related occupations
- Audio and Video Technicians$58,100
- Broadcast Technicians$59,570
- Lighting Technicians$68,060
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians$67,820
- Producers and Directors$90,360
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190
- Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film$74,990
- Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers$52,600
What a Sound Engineering Technicians does
- Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.
- Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.
- Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage.
- Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
- 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.
- Keep logs of recordings.
- Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Sound Engineering Technicians make?
- The median annual wage for Sound Engineering Technicians is $73,130 ($35 per hour). Pay ranges from about $37,570 at the 10th percentile to $137,370 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Sound Engineering Technicians?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $81,390, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Sound Engineering Technicianss the most?
- New Jersey has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $115,190.
- Is Sound Engineering Technicians a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 13K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Sound Engineering Technicians do?
- Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.; Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.; Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage..