Sound Engineer job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

12

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$73,130

BLS May 2025

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

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. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles. importance 4.8 of 5
3. Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment. importance 4.6 of 5
4. Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage. importance 4.6 of 5
5. Set up, test, and adjust recording equipment for recording sessions and live performances. importance 4.6 of 5
6. Report equipment problems and ensure that required repairs are made. importance 4.5 of 5
7. Prepare for recording sessions by performing such activities as selecting and setting up microphones. importance 4.5 of 5
8. Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards. importance 4.4 of 5
9. Tear down equipment after event completion. importance 3.9 of 5
10. Synchronize and equalize prerecorded dialogue, music, and sound effects with visual action of motion pictures or television productions, using control consoles. importance 3.9 of 5
11. Reproduce and duplicate sound recordings from original recording media, using sound editing and duplication equipment. importance 3.8 of 5
12. Convert video and audio recordings into digital formats for editing or archiving. importance 3.6 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Working with Computers, Thinking Creatively, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships and Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Create musical instrument digital interface programs for music projects, commercials, or film postproduction.

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

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, Facebook, Git. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a sound engineer.

The most common answer among O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation is a high school diploma or equivalent (32%).

Job title: Sound Engineer
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Sound Engineer to 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.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, speaking and critical thinking
- Working knowledge of Computers and Electronics and Customer and Personal Service
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud software or Adobe InDesign]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $73,130 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $35.16. BLS estimates about 13,080 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Sound Engineering Technicians to decline 3.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full sound engineer salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real sound engineer posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only sound engineer work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and speaking).