Broadcast technicians
Set up, operate, and maintain the electronic equipment used to acquire, edit, and transmit audio and video for radio or television programs. Control and adjust incoming and outgoing broadcast signals to regulate sound volume, signal strength, and signal clarity. Operate satellite, microwave, or other transmitter equipment to broadcast radio or television programs.
Broadcast technicians set up, operate, and maintain the electronic equipment used to acquire, edit, and transmit audio and video for radio or television programs. The role reports a median annual salary of $53,920 in the US and is projected to decline by 3% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Associate's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.60 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include broadcast equipment, electronics principles, media formats, multimedia systems, audiovisual products.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £32,643 a year for Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3417). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Broadcast technicians, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Computers and Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Engineering and Technology
- Communications and Media
- English Language
- Design
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
A day in the life
You begin your shift in the station's control room, checking the transmitter readings and logging them, then previewing the programmes scheduled for the next few hours to make sure every file plays cleanly. Throughout the morning you watch a wall of monitors and meters, adjusting audio and video levels so everything airs clearly. When the signal from a remote reporter drops, you switch to a backup feed and call the field team to fix the link. Mid-shift you run automated playback of recorded shows and update the programme log with exactly what went out and when. After lunch a piece of equipment starts to overheat, so you make a quick repair and report it for a full service. You also talk to the studio crew to confirm timings for the evening bulletin. Much of the job is quiet monitoring, but when something goes wrong on air, your fast reaction keeps the station running.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible.
- Monitor and log transmitter readings.
- Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission.
- Monitor strength, clarity, and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals, and adjust equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts.
- Observe monitors and converse with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing.
- Preview scheduled programs to ensure that signals are functioning and programs are ready for transmission.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Broadcast technicians do?
Set up, operate, and maintain the electronic equipment used to acquire, edit, and transmit audio and video for radio or television programs. Control and adjust incoming and outgoing broadcast signals to regulate sound volume, signal strength, and signal clarity. Operate satellite, microwave, or other transmitter equipment to broadcast radio or television programs.
What does a typical day look like in Broadcast technicians?
You begin your shift in the station's control room, checking the transmitter readings and logging them, then previewing the programmes scheduled for the next few hours to make sure every file plays cleanly. Throughout the morning you watch a wall of monitors and meters, adjusting audio and video levels so everything airs clearly. When the signal from a remote reporter drops, you switch to a backup feed and call the field team to fix the link.
How much does Broadcast technicians earn?
The median annual salary for Broadcast technicians in the US is $53,920.
What is the job outlook for Broadcast technicians?
The role is projected to decline by 3% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 24,800 workers.
How do I become broadcast technicians?
The typical entry education is a Associate's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Broadcast technicians need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include broadcast equipment, electronics principles, media formats, multimedia systems, audiovisual products, maintain electrical equipment. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Broadcast technicians?
Our AI-durability model gives Broadcast technicians a score of 0.60 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Broadcast technicians has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.