Skip to content
TryHired.
Role hub · Sound Engineering Technicians

Sound Engineer: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of sound engineers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$73,130
Hourly
$35.16
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Sound Engineers 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. The median pay is $73,130 a year ($35.16 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (32% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$73,130
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
13,080
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 3 of 5
medium preparation
Most common education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
32% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Sound Engineering Technicians (O*NET-SOC 27-4014.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Key facts

Sound Engineers at a glance

  • Sound engineering technicians in the United States earned a median annual wage of $73,130 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education for sound engineering technicians in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of sound engineering technicians in the United States to decline 3.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,000 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 13,080 people were employed as sound engineering technicians in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Sound Engineers

SalarySound Engineer salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeSound Engineer how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What sound engineers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.
  2. Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
  3. Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.
  4. Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage.
  5. Set up, test, and adjust recording equipment for recording sessions and live performances.
  6. Report equipment problems and ensure that required repairs are made.
  7. Prepare for recording sessions by performing such activities as selecting and setting up microphones.
  8. Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all sound engineer jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Motion picture and sound recording industries32.7% of all jobs in this occupation · -9.4% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $85,010
  2. Broadcasting and Content Providers7.8% of all jobs in this occupation · -3.6% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $79,530
  3. Professional, scientific, and technical services6.8% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $96,330
  4. Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations5.4% of all jobs in this occupation · -3.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $68,450
  5. Educational services; state, local, and private4.5% of all jobs in this occupation · -2.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $57,390
  6. Administrative and support services3.9% of all jobs in this occupation · -4.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $99,110

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Active ListeningcoreSpeakingcoreCritical ThinkingcoreComplex Problem SolvingOperations MonitoringOperation and ControlJudgment and Decision MakingReading ComprehensionCoordination

Knowledge areas: Computers and Electronics, Customer and Personal Service, Fine Arts, English Language, Engineering and Technology, Communications and Media.

Tools and technology

Software sound engineers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Adobe Creative Cloud softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
  • Adobe InDesignDesktop publishing softwareHot technology
  • Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
  • Autodesk AutoCADComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology
  • FacebookWeb page creation and editing softwareHot technology
  • GitFile versioning softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft VisioProcess mapping and design softwareHot technology
  • Adobe AuditionMusic or sound editing software
  • Adobe Premiere ProVideo creation and editing software
  • Apple Final Cut ProVideo creation and editing software
  • Audio editing softwareMusic or sound editing software
  • Avid Pro ToolsMusic or sound editing software

Also called: Audio Engineer, Audio Operator, Mastering Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Mixing Technician (Mixing Tech), Music Producer.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.