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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

27-4014 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. Excludes “Audio and Video Technicians” (27-4011).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
12,890 5.1 % $32.25 $67,090 3.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.50 $16.96 $26.32 $38.04 $58.33
Annual Wage (2) $25,990 $35,270 $54,740 $79,130 $121,320


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Motion Picture and Video Industries 3,360 0.78 $41.47 $86,250
Sound Recording Industries 3,340 17.99 $31.63 $65,790
Radio and Television Broadcasting 830 0.39 $26.55 $55,230
Performing Arts Companies 760 0.57 $30.22 $62,850
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 510 0.95 $22.48 $46,770

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Sound Recording Industries 3,340 17.99 $31.63 $65,790
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 510 0.95 $22.48 $46,770
Motion Picture and Video Industries 3,360 0.78 $41.47 $86,250
Performing Arts Companies 760 0.57 $30.22 $62,850
Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media 60 0.54 $21.36 $44,420

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Motion Picture and Video Industries 3,360 0.78 $41.47 $86,250
Spectator Sports 30 0.02 $37.39 $77,770
Employment Services 130 (7) $34.24 $71,220
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 90 (7) $33.74 $70,170
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 80 0.02 $32.87 $68,370


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 4,160 0.24 2.73 $38.10 $79,240
New York 1,830 0.19 2.19 $38.17 $79,400
Florida 900 0.10 1.17 $26.63 $55,390
Texas 560 0.04 0.51 $27.78 $57,790
Georgia 490 0.11 1.25 $32.45 $67,490




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 4,160 0.24 2.73 $38.10 $79,240
Utah 310 0.20 2.32 $13.66 $28,410
New York 1,830 0.19 2.19 $38.17 $79,400
Oregon 300 0.16 1.77 $21.20 $44,090
Maryland 350 0.13 1.49 $23.22 $48,290




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut 120 0.07 0.82 $45.69 $95,030
New York 1,830 0.19 2.19 $38.17 $79,400
California 4,160 0.24 2.73 $38.10 $79,240
District of Columbia 80 0.12 1.33 $34.72 $72,210
Georgia 490 0.11 1.25 $32.45 $67,490





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,400 0.55 6.22 $39.05 $81,220
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,750 0.18 2.06 $37.42 $77,830
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 480 0.18 2.00 $32.52 $67,630
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 360 0.15 1.66 $33.88 $70,470
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 340 0.11 1.23 $24.96 $51,930
Salt Lake City, UT 280 0.38 4.30 $13.30 $27,660
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 250 0.09 1.06 $25.41 $52,850
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 240 0.05 0.58 $29.44 $61,240
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 230 0.08 0.92 $27.91 $58,050
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 210 0.22 2.45 $35.36 $73,550




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Medford, OR 90 1.00 11.44 $19.66 $40,890
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,400 0.55 6.22 $39.05 $81,220
Salt Lake City, UT 280 0.38 4.30 $13.30 $27,660
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 210 0.22 2.45 $35.36 $73,550
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,750 0.18 2.06 $37.42 $77,830
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 480 0.18 2.00 $32.52 $67,630
Asheville, NC 30 0.17 1.96 $19.65 $40,880
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 200 0.16 1.85 $23.44 $48,760
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 360 0.15 1.66 $33.88 $70,470
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 150 0.15 1.68 $29.09 $60,500




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,400 0.55 6.22 $39.05 $81,220
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,750 0.18 2.06 $37.42 $77,830
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 210 0.22 2.45 $35.36 $73,550
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 360 0.15 1.66 $33.88 $70,470
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 480 0.18 2.00 $32.52 $67,630
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA (8) (8) (8) $31.84 $66,230
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 30 0.05 0.54 $31.20 $64,900
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 240 0.05 0.58 $29.44 $61,240
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 140 0.07 0.79 $29.10 $60,530
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 150 0.15 1.68 $29.09 $60,500


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020