Sound engineering technicians
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.
Sound engineering technicians 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 role reports a median annual salary of $66,430 in the US and is showing modest growth of -2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Postsecondary nondegree award, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.57 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Reading Comprehension.
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 Sound engineering 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
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification Bachelor's degree in any subject[1]
- 2 · Entrance exam FTII Entrance Test (written test, then assessment and interview)[1]
- 3 · Qualification 3-year MFA in Cinema (Sound Recording & Sound Design) at FTII Pune[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- FTII — Admission Prospectus, FTII Entrance Test (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Fine Arts
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Communications and Media
- Production and Processing
- Administration and Management
A day in the life
You start the day in the studio setting up for a recording session, choosing and positioning microphones for vocals, guitars and drums, then testing each channel on the mixing desk. When the band arrives you talk with the producer and the artists about the sound they want: warm and intimate, or loud and punchy. During takes you control levels from the console, listening closely for distortion and asking for another take when a note is off. After lunch you begin mixing an earlier song, separating instruments, cleaning up noise and balancing the vocals so every word is clear. Later a cable starts crackling, so you trace the fault and arrange a repair. In the evening you might run sound at a small live show, adjusting levels as the room fills. The hours are long and often late, but hearing a finished track that sounds exactly right is hugely satisfying.
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
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Sound engineering technicians do?
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.
What does a typical day look like in Sound engineering technicians?
You start the day in the studio setting up for a recording session, choosing and positioning microphones for vocals, guitars and drums, then testing each channel on the mixing desk. When the band arrives you talk with the producer and the artists about the sound they want: warm and intimate, or loud and punchy. During takes you control levels from the console, listening closely for distortion and asking for another take when a note is off.
How much does Sound engineering technicians earn?
The median annual salary for Sound engineering technicians in the US is $66,430.
What is the job outlook for Sound engineering technicians?
The role is showing modest growth of -2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 16,900 workers.
How do I become sound engineering technicians?
The typical entry education is a Postsecondary nondegree award. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Sound engineering technicians need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Reading Comprehension, Operation and Control. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Sound engineering technicians?
Our AI-durability model gives Sound engineering technicians a score of 0.57 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?
Sound engineering technicians has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.