Sound Engineering Technicians
Sound Engineering Technicians (SOC 27-4014) earn a median $73,130 a year ($35.16 an hour) in the United States, with 13,080 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New Jersey.
What sound engineering technicians do
Sound engineering technicians assemble and run equipment that records, synchronizes, mixes, edits, or reproduces sound, including music, voices, and sound effects, for productions in theater, video, film, television, and podcasts, at sporting events, and elsewhere. They confer with producers, performers, and others about the sound wanted for a production, then set up, test, and adjust recording equipment for sessions and live performances and prepare by choosing and placing microphones. They regulate volume level and sound quality during sessions using control consoles, record speech, music, and other sounds, separate instruments and vocals and combine sounds during mixing, and mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects. They also report equipment problems and make sure repairs are done. Alternate titles include audio engineer, audio recording engineer, and acoustical engineer. Audio and video technicians are excluded and counted in a separate occupation.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a high school diploma or equivalent.
Also called: Acoustical Consultant, Acoustical Engineer, Audio DSP Engineer, Audio Engineer, Audio Operator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.06 | $23.99 | $35.16 | $48.21 | $66.04 | $39.13 | 13,080 |
| Annual | $37,570 | $49,910 | $73,130 | $100,280 | $137,370 | $81,390 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where sound engineering technicians earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $20.84 | $35.78 | $55.38 | $66.53 | $78.38 | $53.45 | 290 | 0.07 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $43,350 | $74,410 | $115,190 | $138,380 | $163,030 | $111,170 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $29.47 | $34.15 | $51.26 | $61.13 | $75.00 | $51.69 | 90 | 0.13 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $61,300 | $71,030 | $106,630 | $127,160 | $156,000 | $107,510 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $25.30 | $28.46 | $42.07 | $62.24 | $75.77 | $47.62 | 2,050 | 0.21 | 2.52 |
| Annual | $52,620 | $59,200 | $87,510 | $129,460 | $157,600 | $99,040 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $14.38 | $25.19 | $40.66 | $49.73 | $54.58 | $37.90 | 170 | 0.11 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $29,910 | $52,400 | $84,570 | $103,440 | $113,520 | $78,830 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $24.25 | $35.08 | $38.46 | $41.70 | $52.05 | $38.97 | 160 | 0.06 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $50,440 | $72,960 | $79,990 | $86,740 | $108,260 | $81,050 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $21.98 | $25.55 | $37.57 | $48.51 | $68.81 | $42.09 | 4,060 | 0.22 | 2.65 |
| Annual | $45,720 | $53,150 | $78,150 | $100,910 | $143,130 | $87,550 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $25.30 | $28.46 | $42.07 | $62.24 | $75.77 | $47.62 | 2,050 | 0.21 | 2.52 |
| Annual | $52,620 | $59,200 | $87,510 | $129,460 | $157,600 | $99,040 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.79 | $19.08 | $26.14 | $34.52 | $39.96 | $27.97 | 830 | 0.06 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $34,920 | $39,690 | $54,370 | $71,790 | $83,120 | $58,180 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $19.74 | $23.06 | $33.83 | $49.32 | $67.47 | $38.91 | 590 | 0.06 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $41,060 | $47,970 | $70,360 | $102,590 | $140,340 | $80,920 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $19.45 | $35.16 | $47.82 | $54.55 | $33.58 | 570 | 0.09 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $40,460 | $73,130 | $99,460 | $113,460 | $69,840 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $25.30 | $28.46 | $46.88 | $62.48 | $77.59 | $48.62 | 1,960 | 0.21 | 2.45 |
| Annual | $52,620 | $59,200 | $97,510 | $129,950 | $161,380 | $101,120 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $27.18 | $37.06 | $45.67 | $68.72 | $82.52 | $52.33 | 460 | 0.20 | 2.32 |
| Annual | $56,540 | $77,080 | $94,990 | $142,940 | $171,640 | $108,850 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $16.87 | $26.58 | $41.64 | $47.88 | $51.63 | $38.63 | 150 | 0.05 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $35,080 | $55,280 | $86,610 | $99,590 | $107,390 | $80,340 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $35.53 | $40.29 | $40.29 | $40.29 | $40.81 | $39.66 | 380 | 0.19 | 2.29 |
| Annual | $73,900 | $83,810 | $83,810 | $83,810 | $84,890 | $82,490 | ||||
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | Hourly | $14.00 | $25.19 | $39.35 | $49.73 | $53.99 | $37.21 | 140 | 0.12 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $29,120 | $52,400 | $81,840 | $103,430 | $112,290 | $77,390 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $21.58 | $24.32 | $37.43 | $47.94 | $67.55 | $40.45 | 2,820 | 0.45 | 5.34 |
| Annual | $44,890 | $50,590 | $77,850 | $99,720 | $140,510 | $84,140 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $25.30 | $28.46 | $46.88 | $62.48 | $77.59 | $48.62 | 1,960 | 0.21 | 2.45 |
| Annual | $52,620 | $59,200 | $97,510 | $129,950 | $161,380 | $101,120 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $27.18 | $37.06 | $45.67 | $68.72 | $82.52 | $52.33 | 460 | 0.20 | 2.32 |
| Annual | $56,540 | $77,080 | $94,990 | $142,940 | $171,640 | $108,850 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.00 | $21.46 | $35.17 | $43.64 | $59.97 | $33.80 | 450 | 0.10 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $44,640 | $73,140 | $90,780 | $124,730 | $70,300 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $35.53 | $40.29 | $40.29 | $40.29 | $40.81 | $39.66 | 380 | 0.19 | 2.29 |
| Annual | $73,900 | $83,810 | $83,810 | $83,810 | $84,890 | $82,490 | ||||
Top industries employing sound engineering technicians
Motion Picture and Video Industries employ 21.6% of sound engineering technicians nationally (2,820 jobs) at a median $98,460 a year ($47.34 an hour), followed by Sound Recording Industries (20.0%) and Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motion Picture and Video Industries NAICS 512100 | 2,820 | 21.6% | $98,460 | $47.34 |
| Sound Recording Industries NAICS 512200 | 2,620 | 20.0% | $57,960 | $27.87 |
| Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events NAICS 711300 | 980 | 7.5% | $58,950 | $28.34 |
| Performing Arts Companies NAICS 711100 | 920 | 7.0% | $64,550 | $31.03 |
| Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers NAICS 516200 | 710 | 5.4% | $82,470 | $39.65 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (13,080). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $60,500 for sound engineering technicians in May 2021 and $73,130 in May 2025, with employment of 10,800 and 13,080.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $60,500 | $29.09 | 10,800 |
| May 2022 | $60,670 | $29.17 | 13,420 |
| May 2023 | $59,430 | $28.57 | 14,600 |
| May 2024 | $66,430 | $31.94 | 13,050 |
| May 2025 | $73,130 | $35.16 | 13,080 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
39 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey profile | $55.38 | $115,190 | $43,350 | $163,030 | 290 | 0.07 | 0.80 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | $51.26 | $106,630 | $61,300 | $156,000 | 90 | 0.13 | 1.60 |
| 3 | New York profile | $42.07 | $87,510 | $52,620 | $157,600 | 2,050 | 0.21 | 2.52 |
| 4 | Nevada profile | $40.66 | $84,570 | $29,910 | $113,520 | 170 | 0.11 | 1.34 |
| 5 | Maryland profile | $38.46 | $79,990 | $50,440 | $108,260 | 160 | 0.06 | 0.71 |
| 6 | California profile | $37.57 | $78,150 | $45,720 | $143,130 | 4,060 | 0.22 | 2.65 |
| 7 | Georgia profile | $37.02 | $77,010 | $35,080 | $104,540 | 200 | 0.04 | 0.49 |
| 8 | Kentucky profile | $35.62 | $74,100 | $47,950 | $81,020 | 60 | 0.03 | 0.35 |
| 9 | Illinois profile | $35.16 | $73,130 | $31,200 | $113,460 | 570 | 0.09 | 1.11 |
| 10 | Indiana profile | $35.16 | $73,130 | $44,520 | $85,040 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| 11 | Connecticut profile | $35.00 | $72,800 | $40,580 | $85,470 | 60 | 0.04 | 0.45 |
| 12 | Florida profile | $33.83 | $70,360 | $41,060 | $140,340 | 590 | 0.06 | 0.71 |
| 13 | Arizona profile | $31.90 | $66,350 | $36,310 | $110,570 | 130 | 0.04 | 0.47 |
| 14 | New Hampshire profile | $31.55 | $65,630 | $57,770 | $77,400 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.56 |
| 15 | Ohio profile | $30.78 | $64,030 | $31,200 | $131,090 | ** | ** | ** |
| 16 | Nebraska profile | $30.68 | $63,810 | $42,070 | $84,480 | 50 | 0.05 | 0.59 |
| 17 | Massachusetts profile | $30.41 | $63,250 | $35,540 | $134,480 | 200 | 0.06 | 0.66 |
| 18 | Kansas profile | $30.15 | $62,710 | $42,600 | $107,270 | 30 | 0.02 | 0.25 |
| 19 | Missouri profile | $29.69 | $61,750 | $39,800 | $104,350 | 190 | 0.07 | 0.79 |
| 20 | Colorado profile | $29.15 | $60,630 | $40,970 | $84,970 | 170 | 0.06 | 0.69 |
| 21 | Tennessee profile | $29.09 | $60,500 | $42,230 | $158,160 | 510 | 0.15 | 1.83 |
| 22 | Montana profile | $27.69 | $57,600 | $28,080 | $67,390 | 50 | 0.10 | 1.15 |
| 23 | Iowa profile | $27.60 | $57,400 | $32,280 | $62,400 | 60 | 0.04 | 0.49 |
| 24 | Louisiana profile | $26.70 | $55,530 | $33,760 | $83,920 | ** | ** | ** |
| 25 | Idaho profile | $26.43 | $54,970 | $32,280 | $78,870 | 40 | 0.04 | 0.50 |
| 26 | Texas profile | $26.14 | $54,370 | $34,920 | $83,120 | 830 | 0.06 | 0.70 |
| 27 | Michigan profile | $24.92 | $51,840 | $32,250 | $88,220 | 200 | 0.05 | 0.53 |
| 28 | Virginia profile | $24.00 | $49,920 | $26,910 | $105,240 | 120 | 0.03 | 0.35 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania profile | $23.79 | $49,490 | $28,530 | $72,470 | 160 | 0.03 | 0.31 |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $23.63 | $49,150 | $29,540 | $85,140 | 170 | 0.03 | 0.40 |
| 31 | Maine profile | $23.26 | $48,380 | $42,580 | $93,230 | 40 | 0.06 | 0.71 |
| 32 | Wisconsin profile | $22.49 | $46,780 | $23,200 | $76,260 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.36 |
| 33 | New Mexico profile | $21.97 | $45,690 | $35,170 | $68,380 | 50 | 0.06 | 0.74 |
| 34 | South Carolina profile | $21.75 | $45,240 | $39,510 | $74,480 | ** | ** | ** |
| 35 | Utah profile | $17.50 | $36,400 | $21,520 | $97,390 | 210 | 0.12 | 1.46 |
| – | Hawaii profile | * | * | * | * | 30 | 0.05 | 0.57 |
| – | Minnesota profile | * | * | * | * | 400 | 0.14 | 1.60 |
| – | Oregon profile | * | * | * | * | 150 | 0.08 | 0.93 |
| – | Washington profile | * | * | * | * | 160 | 0.05 | 0.54 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (27-4010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 27-4014 Sound Engineering Technicians.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 27-4014, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 27-4014.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.