Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 27-4011

Audio and Video Technicians

The published band from $37,990 to $100,650 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Technical Writers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Audio and Video Technicians: Technical Writers ($90K) , Media and Communication Workers, All Other ($74K) , Film and Video Editors ($75K) , Public Relations Specialists ($75K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Audio and Video Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 27-4011 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Notify supervisors when major equipment repairs are needed
  2. 2. Diagnose and resolve media system problems
  3. 3. Direct and coordinate activities of assistants and other personnel during production
  4. 4. Compress, digitize, duplicate, and store audio and video data
  5. 5. Install, adjust, and operate electronic equipment to record, edit, and transmit radio and television programs, motion pictures, video con…
  6. 6. Monitor incoming and outgoing pictures and sound feeds to ensure quality and notify directors of any possible problems
  7. 7. Control the lights and sound of events, such as live concerts, before and after performances, and during intermissions
  8. 8. Mix and regulate sound inputs and feeds or coordinate audio feeds with television pictures
  9. 9. Switch sources of video input from one camera or studio to another, from film to live programming, or from network to local programming
  10. 10. Record and edit audio material, such as movie soundtracks, using audio recording and editing equipment
  11. 11. Perform minor repairs and routine cleaning of audio and video equipment
  12. 12. Construct and position properties, sets, lighting equipment, and other equipment

Audio and Video Technicians: O*NET ranks Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 27-4011 - lead skill Monitoring at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Computers and Electronics. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Monitoring 3.8
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 3.5
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.5
  4. 4. Operations Monitoring 3.5
  5. 5. Complex Problem Solving 3.3
  6. 6. Active Listening 3.1
  7. 7. Writing 3.1
  8. 8. Speaking 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Computers and Electronics 4.1
  2. 2. Communications and Media 4.1
  3. 3. English Language 4.0
  4. 4. Telecommunications 3.7
  5. 5. Fine Arts 3.6
  6. 6. Engineering and Technology 3.6
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$37,990 to $100,650
median $58,100 · ~2.6× spread
$58K
National median
↑ +3%
Growth 2024-2034
7,300
Annual openings
70,230
Estimated US jobs
Technical Writers
Highest-pay peer · $90K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Top Paying States for Audio and Video Technicians

1. New York $67,600
2. Washington $69,270
3. New Jersey $71,040
4. Maryland $70,040
5. Nevada $62,770
6. California $64,620
7. Connecticut $62,120
8. Rhode Island $64,070
9. District of Columbia $78,770
10. Alaska $62,060

Other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles

  1. 1. Technical Writers $90,390
  2. 2. Film and Video Editors $75,420
  3. 3. Public Relations Specialists $74,750
  4. 4. Writers and Authors $76,910
  5. 5. Producers and Directors $90,360
  6. 6. Media and Communication Workers, All Other $73,620

The OEWS band for Audio and Video Technicians runs from $37,990 (10th) to $100,650 (90th), about 2.6× wide, with median $58,100. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +3% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 7,300 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: New York at $67,600. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Technical Writers at $90,390. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Audio and Video Technicians pay-rank #27 in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

On the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations median table (36 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Audio and Video Technicians lands at #27, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Audio and Video Technicians is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Audio and Video Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 27-4011

New York · top state for Audio and Video Technicians

$68K published median

Washington · #2 state pay

$69K · behind New York

Technical Writers

Highest-pay peer vs Audio and Video Technicians · $90K

Media and Communication Workers, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Audio and Video Technicians · $74K

Compare Audio and Video Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Audio and Video Technicians with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Audio and Video Technicians land on the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations median table? ▼
Audio and Video Technicians is pay-rank #27 of 36 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Broadcast Technicians ($60K), Interpreters and Translators ($60K), Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators ($55K), Choreographers ($55K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do audio and video technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Audio and Video Technicians. Leading ones include: Notify supervisors when major equipment repairs are needed; Diagnose and resolve media system problems; Direct and coordinate activities of assistants and other personnel during production; Compress, digitize, duplicate, and store audio and video data. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for audio and video technicians? ▼
For SOC 27-4011, O*NET importance scores lead with Monitoring (3.8), Reading Comprehension (3.5), Critical Thinking (3.5), Operations Monitoring (3.5). Knowledge areas emphasize Computers and Electronics, Communications and Media, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Audio and Video Technicians? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $37,990 and the 90th at $100,650 for Audio and Video Technicians (2.6× spread). The national median is $58,100. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Audio and Video Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Audio and Video Technicians is +3%. Projected annual openings: about 7,300. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Audio and Video Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Audio and Video Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Audio and Video Technicians? ▼
New York ($67,600), Washington ($69,270), New Jersey ($71,040) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Audio and Video Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 27-4011. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Audio and Video Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics