27 Series · SOC 27-4099

Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$70,720
Median / year
$135,470
Top 10% earn
+0.6%
Growth '23–'33
12,450
US workers

Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other earn a median of $70,720 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $70,720, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $38,870 (10th percentile) to $135,470 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 12,450 US workers. Virginia pays the most ($117,640), since pay varies by state and metro area.

27 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
Share: Post LinkedIn

The pay verdict

Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other earn a median of $70,720, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 62% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media, it ranks #18 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 0.6% by 2033.

$70,720
Median annual wage
Top 38%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#18 of 36
in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
3.5×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: Virginia at $117,640. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.

Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other (SOC 27-4099) pays a national median of $70,720 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $38,870 at the 10th percentile to $135,470 at the 90th, with a mean of $81,040 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 12,450 Americans work in this occupation across 35 reporting states and 51 metro areas.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a +0.6% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,100 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.6 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Virginia pays the highest state median at $117,640, which is +66% above the national figure. The top metro is Salinas, CA at $132,930 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.

BLS OEWS May 2025 12,450 jobs Median $70,720/yr

Median Salary

$70,720

per year

Median Hourly

$34.00/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$81,040

average

Employment

12,450

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$70,720 Top 38% higher than 62% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $200,000 every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 27-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 25 27-series occupations with growth data, Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other sits on the slower-growing side at +0.6% growth and $70,720 median pay.

Among 25 27-series occupations with growth data, Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other sits on the slower-growing side at +0.6% growth and $70,720 median pay. Scatter plot of 25 data points. $20000$40000$60000$80000$100000$120000 -10%-5%0%5%10% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage
Among 25 27-series occupations with growth data, Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other sits on the slower-growing side at +0.6% growth and $70,720 median pay.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

+0.6%

Slower than average

Annual Openings

1,100

per year (projected)

Typical Education

High school diploma or equivalent

On-the-Job Training

Short-term on-the-job training

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
A

Very Safe

Safety Grade (BLS 2023)

Fatality Rate

0.6/100K

Injury Rate

0.5/100

Danger Index

2.3/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

$38,870$49,340$70,720$106,780$135,470
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

Hourly Rate Distribution

$18.69$23.72$34.00$51.34$65.13
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

10th Percentile

$38,870

25th Percentile

$49,340

Median

$70,720

75th Percentile

$106,780

90th Percentile

$135,470

Salary by State

Highest Paying States

1. Virginia $117,640 2. Arizona $99,320 3. Michigan $96,530 4. Alabama $96,100 5. Nebraska $92,080

Lowest Paying States

31. Montana $36,890 32. Puerto Rico $40,870 33. Tennessee $42,370 34. New Hampshire $47,040 35. New Mexico $48,090
View all 35 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 Virginia $117,640 +66% above national
2 Arizona $99,320 +40% above national
3 Michigan $96,530 +36% above national
4 Alabama $96,100 +36% above national
5 Nebraska $92,080 +30% above national
6 Colorado $86,370 +22% above national
7 Louisiana $86,260 +22% above national
8 Florida $86,230 +22% above national
9 North Carolina $78,690 +11% above national
10 Minnesota $77,960 +10% above national
11 Utah $76,790 +9% above national
12 Texas $76,400 +8% above national
13 New York $76,020 +7% above national
14 Pennsylvania $75,600 +7% above national
15 Guam $75,360 +7% above national
16 South Carolina $74,010 +5% above national
17 Connecticut $73,400 +4% above national
18 Illinois $72,430 +2% above national
19 Ohio $71,610 +1% above national
20 New Jersey $70,280 1% below national
21 Maryland $68,880 3% below national
22 Oregon $67,830 4% below national
23 California $64,550 9% below national
24 Massachusetts $60,960 14% below national
25 Hawaii $56,900 20% below national
26 Nevada $54,650 23% below national
27 Missouri $53,480 24% below national
28 Maine $50,960 28% below national
29 Mississippi $49,590 30% below national
30 Georgia $48,120 32% below national
31 New Mexico $48,090 32% below national
32 New Hampshire $47,040 33% below national
33 Tennessee $42,370 40% below national
34 Puerto Rico $40,870 42% below national
35 Montana $36,890 48% below national

Salary by Metro Area

Highest Paying Metros

1. Salinas, CA $132,930 2. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $121,680 3. Colorado Springs, CO $118,250 4. Fayetteville, NC $114,130 5. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $112,260

Lowest Paying Metros

47. San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR $40,870 48. Savannah, GA $46,580 49. Manchester-Nashua, NH $47,040 50. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $48,120 51. Lancaster, PA $48,960
View all 51 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 Salinas, CA $132,930 +88% above national
2 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $121,680 +72% above national
3 Colorado Springs, CO $118,250 +67% above national
4 Fayetteville, NC $114,130 +61% above national
5 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $112,260 +59% above national
6 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $110,780 +57% above national
7 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $109,300 +55% above national
8 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $107,520 +52% above national
9 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $104,920 +48% above national
10 Vallejo, CA $103,650 +47% above national
11 El Paso, TX $103,380 +46% above national
12 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA $100,420 +42% above national
13 Jacksonville, FL $96,100 +36% above national
14 St. Louis, MO-IL $96,010 +36% above national
15 Omaha, NE-IA $95,020 +34% above national
16 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $94,590 +34% above national
17 Columbus, OH $92,580 +31% above national
18 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX $89,920 +27% above national
19 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $86,230 +22% above national
20 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $85,400 +21% above national
21 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $83,780 +18% above national
22 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $83,040 +17% above national
23 Ogden, UT $81,740 +16% above national
24 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $81,250 +15% above national
25 Urban Honolulu, HI $79,750 +13% above national
26 New Orleans-Metairie, LA $79,370 +12% above national
27 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $75,600 +7% above national
28 Pittsburgh, PA $73,140 +3% above national
29 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $71,090 +1% above national
30 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $67,890 4% below national
31 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $67,830 4% below national
32 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $66,650 6% below national
33 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $66,300 6% below national
34 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $64,550 9% below national
35 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $64,540 9% below national
36 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $63,300 10% below national
37 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $63,140 11% below national
38 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $62,700 11% below national
39 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $60,440 15% below national
40 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $58,320 18% below national
41 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $56,730 20% below national
42 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $56,390 20% below national
43 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $54,370 23% below national
44 Fresno, CA $52,250 26% below national
45 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $51,970 27% below national
46 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $50,470 29% below national
47 Lancaster, PA $48,960 31% below national
48 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $48,120 32% below national
49 Manchester-Nashua, NH $47,040 33% below national
50 Savannah, GA $46,580 34% below national
51 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR $40,870 42% below national

Similar Occupations in the Same Category

Other roles in SOC major group 27 (arts design entertainment sports and media) with comparable pay and career paths.

Actors

SOC 27-2011

Art Directors

SOC 27-1011

Artists and Related Workers, All Other

SOC 27-1019

Athletes and Sports Competitors

SOC 27-2021

Audio and Video Technicians

SOC 27-4011
Compare Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other side-by-side with another occupation →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other make? ▼
The median annual salary for Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other is $70,720 ($34.00/hour). The salary range spans from $38,870 at the 10th percentile to $135,470 at the 90th percentile.
What state pays Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other the most? ▼
Virginia pays the highest median salary for Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other at $117,640/year, which is +66% above the national median.
What education do you need to become a Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other? ▼
The typical entry-level education for Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other is High school diploma or equivalent. On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training.
How dangerous is being a Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other? ▼
Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other has a safety grade of A (Very Safe) based on BLS data. The fatality rate is 0.6 per 100,000 workers and the injury rate is 0.5 per 100 workers.
Is Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other a good career? ▼
Employment for Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other is projected to grow 0.6% from 2024 to 2034, which is slower than average. About 1,100 openings are projected each year.
How does Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other pay vary by state? ▼
Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is Virginia at $117,640/year, while New Mexico pays the least at $48,090/year. BLS data covers 35 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other? ▼
The highest-paying metro area for Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other is Salinas, CA at $132,930/year. BLS reports wage data for 51 metro areas for this occupation, with pay varying based on local demand and cost of living.

What to do with this data

How to use Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other pay figures in a real decision

  • For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $106,780/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
  • Location moves pay significantly: Virginia leads at $117,640/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
  • Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.