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.
- O*NET-SOC code
27-4014.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$73,130
Employment, U.S.13,080
Median hourly wage$35.16
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $37,570 | $49,910 | $73,130 | $100,280 | $137,370 |
By state (39)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 130 | $66,350 | 0.47 |
| California | 4,060 | $78,150 | 2.65 |
| Colorado | 170 | $60,630 | 0.69 |
| Connecticut | 60 | $72,800 | 0.45 |
| District of Columbia | 90 | $106,630 | 1.60 |
| Florida | 590 | $70,360 | 0.71 |
| Georgia | 200 | $77,010 | 0.49 |
| Hawaii | 30 | Not available | 0.57 |
| Idaho | 40 | $54,970 | 0.50 |
| Illinois | 570 | $73,130 | 1.11 |
| Indiana | 50 | $73,130 | 0.20 |
| Iowa | 60 | $57,400 | 0.49 |
| Kansas | 30 | $62,710 | 0.25 |
| Kentucky | 60 | $74,100 | 0.35 |
| Louisiana | $55,530 | ||
| Maine | 40 | $48,380 | 0.71 |
| Maryland | 160 | $79,990 | 0.71 |
| Massachusetts | 200 | $63,250 | 0.66 |
| Michigan | 200 | $51,840 | 0.53 |
| Minnesota | 400 | Not available | 1.60 |
| Missouri | 190 | $61,750 | 0.79 |
| Montana | 50 | $57,600 | 1.15 |
| Nebraska | 50 | $63,810 | 0.59 |
| Nevada | 170 | $84,570 | 1.34 |
| New Hampshire | 30 | $65,630 | 0.56 |
| New Jersey | 290 | $115,190 | 0.80 |
| New Mexico | 50 | $45,690 | 0.74 |
| New York | 2,050 | $87,510 | 2.52 |
| North Carolina | 170 | $49,150 | 0.40 |
| Ohio | $64,030 | ||
| Oregon | 150 | Not available | 0.93 |
| Pennsylvania | 160 | $49,490 | 0.31 |
| South Carolina | $45,240 | ||
| Tennessee | 510 | $60,500 | 1.83 |
| Texas | 830 | $54,370 | 0.70 |
| Utah | 210 | $36,400 | 1.46 |
| Virginia | 120 | $49,920 | 0.35 |
| Washington | 160 | Not available | 0.54 |
| Wisconsin | 90 | $46,780 | 0.36 |
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.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audio and Video Technicians | 3 | 0.956 |
| 2 | Disc Jockeys, Except Radio | 1-2 | 0.934 |
| 3 | Prepress Technicians and Workers | 3 | 0.924 |
| 4 | Media Technical Directors/Managers | 4 | 0.924 |
| 5 | Broadcast Technicians | 3 | 0.919 |
| 6 | Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers | 1-2 | 0.915 |
| 7 | Computer Network Support Specialists | 4 | 0.914 |
| 8 | Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators | 1-2 | 0.914 |
| 9 | Motion Picture Projectionists | 1-2 | 0.912 |
| 10 | Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners | 3 | 0.910 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Sound Engineering 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers | Installation | 1.88 | 0.915 |
| Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners | Repairing | 1.00 | 0.910 |
| Photonics Technicians | Troubleshooting | 0.87 | 0.906 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | Speaking | 0.88 | 0.899 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | Speaking | 0.76 | 0.891 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.37 | 0.889 |
| Neurodiagnostic Technologists | Speaking | 0.76 | 0.888 |
| Automotive Engineering Technicians | Mathematics | 1.38 | 0.886 |
| Medical Appliance Technicians | Quality Control Analysis | 0.88 | 0.883 |
| Precision Agriculture Technicians | Mathematics | 1.25 | 0.883 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Sound Engineering Technicians, excluding software Sound Engineering 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Illustrator | 10 of 20 | 4.6x |
| Adobe After Effects | 7 of 20 | 7.9x |
| YouTube | 7 of 20 | 4.4x |
| Adobe Director | 3 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Autodesk Maya | 3 of 20 | 9.9x |
| Microsoft Active Directory | 3 of 20 | 9.9x |
| Cascading style sheets CSS | 4 of 20 | 5.3x |
| ServiceNow | 3 of 20 | 7.7x |
| AJAX | 3 of 20 | 5.5x |
| UNIX Shell | 3 of 20 | 5.5x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.38 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Computers and Electronics | 4.60 | 5.32 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.88 | 3.96 |
| Fine Arts | 3.76 | 4.44 |
| English Language | 3.68 | 3.76 |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.67 | 4.04 |
| Communications and Media | 3.50 | 4.04 |
| Production and Processing | 3.28 | 3.52 |
| Administration and Management | 2.76 | 3.16 |
| Psychology | 2.71 | 3.00 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.67 | 3.00 |
| Telecommunications | 2.60 | 2.32 |
| Education and Training | 2.54 | 2.88 |
| Mechanical | 2.46 | 2.72 |
| Mathematics | 2.32 | 2.68 |
| Design | 2.28 | 2.20 |
| Physics | 2.08 | 1.88 |
| Administrative | 2.00 | 2.20 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.00 | 1.48 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.80 | 1.40 |
| Foreign Language | 1.71 | 1.54 |
| Public Safety and Security | 1.68 | 1.20 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.64 | 1.08 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.58 | 1.24 |
| Building and Construction | 1.54 | 1.68 |
| Transportation | 1.54 | 0.96 |
| Law and Government | 1.48 | 0.92 |
| History and Archeology | 1.32 | 0.96 |
| Geography | 1.28 | not rated |
| Chemistry | 1.17 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.16 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.08 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.08 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Hearing Sensitivity | 4.12 | 4.25 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Near Vision | 4.00 | 3.62 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Selective Attention | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Originality | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Written Expression | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Speed of Closure | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Control Precision | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Visualization | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Memorization | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Number Facility | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Static Strength | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Reaction Time | 2.12 | 1.50 |
| Sound Localization | 2.12 | 1.50 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.12 | 1.38 |
| Depth Perception | 2.00 | 1.38 |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Response Orientation | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Rate Control | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.38 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 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.
- Adobe Acrobat hot
- Adobe Creative Cloud software hot
- Adobe InDesign hot
- Adobe Photoshop hot
- Apple macOS hot
- Autodesk AutoCAD hot
- Facebook hot
- Git hot
- Linux hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Visio hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Oracle Java hot
- UNIX hot
- Adobe Audition
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Audio editing software
- Avid Pro Tools
- Avid Technology Pro Tools
- Avid Technology audio visual editing software
- Cisco IOS
- IBM Middleware
- Musical instrument digital interface MIDI software
- Perforce software
- Real time operating system RTOS software
- Unity Technologies Unity
All 32
- VMware
- Voice over internet protocol VoIP system 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,820 | 5.34 | $77,850 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 320 | 3.50 | $71,180 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,960 | 2.45 | $97,510 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 460 | 2.32 | $94,990 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 380 | 2.29 | $83,810 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 160 | 2.28 | $36,400 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 140 | 1.50 | Not available |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 140 | 1.44 | $81,840 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 150 | 1.37 | $63,440 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 150 | 1.29 | $68,900 |