27 Series · SOC 27-4014
Sound Engineering Technicians Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $73,130
- Median / year
- $137,370
- Top 10% earn
- -1.7%
- Growth '23–'33
- 13,080
- US workers
Sound Engineering Technicians earn a median of $73,130 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $73,130, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $37,570 (10th percentile) to $137,370 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 13,080 US workers. New Jersey pays the most ($115,190), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Sound Engineering Technicians earn a median of $73,130, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 64% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media, it ranks #15 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 1.7% by 2033.
- $73,130
- Median annual wage
- Top 36%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #15 of 36
- in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- 3.7×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: New Jersey at $115,190. Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
Sound Engineering Technicians (SOC 27-4014) pays a national median of $73,130 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $37,570 at the 10th percentile to $137,370 at the 90th, with a mean of $81,390 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 13,080 Americans work in this occupation across 36 reporting states and 43 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -1.7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,200 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Postsecondary nondegree award 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. New Jersey pays the highest state median at $115,190, which is +58% above the national figure. The top metro is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $97,510 - 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.
Median Salary
$73,130
per year
Median Hourly
$35.16/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$81,390
average
Employment
13,080
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Sound Engineering Technicians pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$73,130 Top 36% higher than 64% of 825 US occupations
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 Sound Engineering Technicians; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 27-series occupations with growth data, Sound Engineering Technicians sits on the slower-growing side at -1.7% growth and $73,130 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-1.7%
Declining
Annual Openings
1,200
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
On-the-Job Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →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
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Sound Engineering Technicians roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Keep logs of recordings.
- ▸ Tear down equipment after event completion.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$37,570
25th Percentile
$49,910
Median
$73,130
75th Percentile
$100,280
90th Percentile
$137,370
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 36 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $115,190 | +58% above national |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $106,630 | +46% above national |
| 3 | New York | $87,510 | +20% above national |
| 4 | Nevada | $84,570 | +16% above national |
| 5 | Maryland | $79,990 | +9% above national |
| 6 | California | $78,150 | +7% above national |
| 7 | Georgia | $77,010 | +5% above national |
| 8 | Kentucky | $74,100 | +1% above national |
| 9 | Illinois | $73,130 | same as national |
| 10 | Indiana | $73,130 | same as national |
| 11 | Connecticut | $72,800 | same as national |
| 12 | Florida | $70,360 | 4% below national |
| 13 | Arizona | $66,350 | 9% below national |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $65,630 | 10% below national |
| 15 | Ohio | $64,030 | 12% below national |
| 16 | Nebraska | $63,810 | 13% below national |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $63,250 | 14% below national |
| 18 | Kansas | $62,710 | 14% below national |
| 19 | Missouri | $61,750 | 16% below national |
| 20 | Colorado | $60,630 | 17% below national |
| 21 | Tennessee | $60,500 | 17% below national |
| 22 | Montana | $57,600 | 21% below national |
| 23 | Iowa | $57,400 | 22% below national |
| 24 | Louisiana | $55,530 | 24% below national |
| 25 | Idaho | $54,970 | 25% below national |
| 26 | Texas | $54,370 | 26% below national |
| 27 | Michigan | $51,840 | 29% below national |
| 28 | Virginia | $49,920 | 32% below national |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $49,490 | 32% below national |
| 30 | North Carolina | $49,150 | 33% below national |
| 31 | Maine | $48,380 | 34% below national |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $46,780 | 36% below national |
| 33 | New Mexico | $45,690 | 38% below national |
| 34 | South Carolina | $45,240 | 38% below national |
| 35 | Utah | $36,400 | 50% below national |
| 36 | Puerto Rico | $35,180 | 52% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 43 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $97,510 | +33% above national |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $94,990 | +30% above national |
| 3 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $86,610 | +18% above national |
| 4 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $83,810 | +15% above national |
| 5 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $81,840 | +12% above national |
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $79,990 | +9% above national |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,850 | +6% above national |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77,420 | +6% above national |
| 9 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $76,260 | +4% above national |
| 10 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $76,050 | +4% above national |
| 11 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $74,890 | +2% above national |
| 12 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $74,100 | +1% above national |
| 13 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $73,140 | same as national |
| 14 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $71,180 | 3% below national |
| 15 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $69,400 | 5% below national |
| 16 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $68,900 | 6% below national |
| 17 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $66,360 | 9% below national |
| 18 | Omaha, NE-IA | $63,810 | 13% below national |
| 19 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $63,720 | 13% below national |
| 20 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $63,440 | 13% below national |
| 21 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $63,020 | 14% below national |
| 22 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $61,920 | 15% below national |
| 23 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $61,750 | 16% below national |
| 24 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $61,740 | 16% below national |
| 25 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $61,110 | 16% below national |
| 26 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $60,670 | 17% below national |
| 27 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $60,060 | 18% below national |
| 28 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $57,400 | 22% below national |
| 29 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $56,120 | 23% below national |
| 30 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $55,090 | 25% below national |
| 31 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $54,900 | 25% below national |
| 32 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $54,200 | 26% below national |
| 33 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $53,780 | 26% below national |
| 34 | Pittsburgh, PA | $52,060 | 29% below national |
| 35 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $48,050 | 34% below national |
| 36 | Cleveland, OH | $47,860 | 35% below national |
| 37 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $47,800 | 35% below national |
| 38 | Knoxville, TN | $46,200 | 37% below national |
| 39 | East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $45,760 | 37% below national |
| 40 | Albuquerque, NM | $45,690 | 38% below national |
| 41 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $44,790 | 39% below national |
| 42 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $36,400 | 50% below national |
| 43 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $33,950 | 54% 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Sound Engineering Technicians make? ▼
What state pays Sound Engineering Technicians the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Sound Engineering Technicians? ▼
How dangerous is being a Sound Engineering Technicians? ▼
Is Sound Engineering Technicians a good career? ▼
How does Sound Engineering Technicians pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Sound Engineering Technicians? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Sound Engineering Technicians pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $100,280/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: New Jersey leads at $115,190/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.
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.