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.
- O*NET-SOC code
27-4012.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$59,570
Employment, U.S.21,110
Median hourly wage$28.64
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $31,390 | $40,320 | $59,570 | $83,520 | $123,670 |
By state (48)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 220 | $47,290 | 0.76 |
| Arizona | 530 | $73,040 | 1.20 |
| Arkansas | 220 | $41,870 | 1.24 |
| California | 2,340 | $72,800 | 0.95 |
| Colorado | 820 | $74,040 | 2.11 |
| Connecticut | 700 | $58,930 | 3.04 |
| District of Columbia | 290 | $108,270 | 3.07 |
| Florida | 1,130 | $64,950 | 0.84 |
| Georgia | 440 | $47,340 | 0.66 |
| Hawaii | 70 | $49,200 | 0.87 |
| Idaho | 90 | $44,730 | 0.80 |
| Illinois | 690 | $74,210 | 0.83 |
| Indiana | 760 | $44,400 | 1.76 |
| Iowa | 180 | $46,820 | 0.83 |
| Kansas | 90 | $41,600 | 0.47 |
| Kentucky | 230 | $40,240 | 0.85 |
| Louisiana | 120 | $44,440 | 0.46 |
| Maine | 90 | $55,110 | 1.05 |
| Maryland | 460 | $64,030 | 1.24 |
| Massachusetts | 560 | $47,260 | 1.14 |
| Michigan | 580 | $47,730 | 0.98 |
| Minnesota | 330 | $46,790 | 0.83 |
| Mississippi | 60 | $27,750 | 0.38 |
| Missouri | 300 | $41,600 | 0.75 |
| Montana | 60 | $46,600 | 0.83 |
| Nebraska | 160 | $43,680 | 1.18 |
| Nevada | 280 | $73,070 | 1.34 |
| New Hampshire | 170 | $81,150 | 1.85 |
| New Jersey | 790 | Not available | 1.36 |
| New Mexico | 80 | $49,990 | 0.71 |
| New York | 1,690 | $78,840 | 1.28 |
| North Carolina | 580 | $47,780 | 0.87 |
| North Dakota | 80 | $48,090 | 1.45 |
| Ohio | 430 | $48,720 | 0.57 |
| Oklahoma | 240 | $44,530 | 1.03 |
| Oregon | 220 | $44,420 | 0.82 |
| Pennsylvania | 950 | $80,470 | 1.15 |
| Rhode Island | 110 | $49,580 | 1.64 |
| South Carolina | 210 | $46,860 | 0.66 |
| South Dakota | 40 | $32,150 | 0.71 |
| Tennessee | 400 | $47,340 | 0.89 |
| Texas | 1,380 | $49,440 | 0.72 |
| Utah | 300 | $31,490 | 1.27 |
| Virginia | 710 | $57,940 | 1.27 |
| Washington | 270 | $62,070 | 0.57 |
| West Virginia | 120 | $27,310 | 1.24 |
| Wisconsin | 410 | $62,400 | 1.02 |
| Wyoming | 50 | $39,380 | 1.29 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Broadcast Technicians, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers | Installation | 1.50 | 0.942 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | Speaking | 1.00 | 0.932 |
| Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers | Installation | 0.87 | 0.924 |
| Non-Destructive Testing Specialists | Science | 2.25 | 0.922 |
| Gas Plant Operators | Operations Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.921 |
| Hydroelectric Plant Technicians | Equipment Maintenance | 0.88 | 0.910 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | Science | 2.50 | 0.905 |
| Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | Science | 3.00 | 0.905 |
| Aviation Inspectors | Speaking | 1.00 | 0.904 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Broadcast Technicians, excluding software Broadcast Technicians already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software | 6 of 20 | 13.2x |
| Firewall software | 5 of 20 | 11.5x |
| National Instruments LabVIEW | 7 of 20 | 5.2x |
| IBM WebSphere | 5 of 20 | 8.9x |
| Microsoft Active Directory | 4 of 20 | 13.2x |
| IBM Notes | 8 of 20 | 3.6x |
| Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript | 5 of 20 | 6.8x |
| Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software | 6 of 20 | 4.5x |
| Help desk software | 3 of 20 | 19.8x |
| SolarWinds | 3 of 20 | 19.8x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.62 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.38 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.88 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Computers and Electronics | 4.96 | 5.27 |
| Communications and Media | 4.51 | 4.62 |
| Telecommunications | 4.47 | 4.68 |
| Engineering and Technology | 4.40 | 4.48 |
| English Language | 4.17 | 4.08 |
| Education and Training | 3.67 | 4.91 |
| Administration and Management | 3.25 | 3.22 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.19 | 3.27 |
| Law and Government | 3.17 | 2.57 |
| Design | 3.15 | 4.07 |
| Mathematics | 3.01 | 3.53 |
| Mechanical | 2.97 | 3.33 |
| Administrative | 2.94 | 3.62 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.83 | 2.69 |
| Physics | 2.78 | 2.70 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 2.70 | 3.57 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.55 | 2.23 |
| Geography | 2.33 | 2.59 |
| Production and Processing | 2.31 | 1.87 |
| Transportation | 2.26 | 1.96 |
| Psychology | 2.19 | 1.98 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.17 | 1.38 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.13 | 2.00 |
| Building and Construction | 2.09 | 1.70 |
| Fine Arts | 1.77 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.72 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.67 | 1.87 |
| History and Archeology | 1.65 | not rated |
| Chemistry | 1.55 | 1.35 |
| Foreign Language | 1.48 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.48 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.36 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.24 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Near Vision | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Oral Expression | 3.50 | 4.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Information Ordering | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.75 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Written Expression | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Visualization | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Control Precision | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Originality | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 3.25 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Memorization | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Static Strength | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Reaction Time | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Rate Control | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Depth Perception | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Sound Localization | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Stamina | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Response Orientation | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.25 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.25 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Adobe After Effects hot
- Adobe Illustrator hot
- Adobe InDesign hot
- Adobe Photoshop hot
- Autodesk AutoCAD hot
- Linux hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- UNIX hot
- Adobe Audition
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Avid Technology audio visual editing software
- Character generator software
- Cisco IOS
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Email software
- Video decoder software
- Video encoder software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 260 | 4.73 | $60,350 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 700 | 3.20 | $78,050 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 400 | 2.68 | $46,290 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 250 | 2.23 | $22,110 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 200 | 1.90 | $50,720 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 540 | 1.67 | $77,790 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 710 | 1.66 | $75,010 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 240 | 1.61 | $45,020 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,010 | 1.56 | $96,820 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 270 | 1.44 | $53,170 |