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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

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 Sound Engineering Technicians
Industry profile for Sound Engineering Technicians
Geographic profile for Sound Engineering Technicians

National estimates for Sound Engineering Technicians:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Sound Engineering Technicians:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
10,800 10.0 % $ 32.38 $ 67,360 3.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for Sound Engineering Technicians:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.00 $ 20.24 $ 29.09 $ 38.33 $ 59.95
Annual Wage (2) $ 29,110 $ 42,100 $ 60,500 $ 79,730 $ 124,690


Industry profile for Sound Engineering Technicians:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Sound Engineering Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Sound Recording Industries 2,970 16.90 $ 31.74 $ 66,020
Motion Picture and Video Industries 2,420 0.77 $ 40.87 $ 85,020
Radio and Television Broadcasting 710 0.37 $ 28.16 $ 58,580
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 580 0.02 $ 19.30 $ 40,140
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 360 0.02 $ 34.81 $ 72,410

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Sound Engineering Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Sound Recording Industries 2,970 16.90 $ 31.74 $ 66,020
Motion Picture and Video Industries 2,420 0.77 $ 40.87 $ 85,020
Performing Arts Companies 330 0.48 $ 31.95 $ 66,460
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 210 0.47 $ 27.18 $ 56,540
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events 320 0.42 $ 27.66 $ 57,530

Top paying industries for Sound Engineering Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (8) (8) $ 47.17 $ 98,120
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 320 0.07 $ 45.32 $ 94,260
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 40 (7) $ 44.23 $ 91,990
Scientific Research and Development Services (8) (8) $ 43.65 $ 90,790
Software Publishers 120 0.02 $ 41.59 $ 86,510


Geographic profile for Sound Engineering Technicians:

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



Map of employment of sound engineering technicians by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Sound Engineering Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 3,450 0.21 2.72 $ 37.17 $ 77,320
New York 1,160 0.13 1.75 $ 44.94 $ 93,470
Texas 690 0.06 0.73 $ 28.78 $ 59,870
Tennessee 640 0.21 2.79 $ 25.19 $ 52,380
Florida 580 0.07 0.88 $ 24.28 $ 50,500


Map of location quotient of sound engineering technicians by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Sound Engineering Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Tennessee 640 0.21 2.79 $ 25.19 $ 52,380
California 3,450 0.21 2.72 $ 37.17 $ 77,320
Utah 280 0.18 2.36 $ 15.18 $ 31,570
Minnesota 490 0.18 2.34 $ 32.77 $ 68,160
New York 1,160 0.13 1.75 $ 44.94 $ 93,470


Map of annual mean wages of sound engineering technicians by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Sound Engineering Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 1,160 0.13 1.75 $ 44.94 $ 93,470
New Jersey 270 0.07 0.91 $ 43.61 $ 90,720
Georgia 160 0.04 0.47 $ 39.12 $ 81,370
District of Columbia 50 0.08 1.01 $ 38.99 $ 81,100
Massachusetts 150 0.04 0.56 $ 38.16 $ 79,360



Map of employment of sound engineering technicians by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Sound Engineering Technicians:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,810 0.49 6.41 $ 37.50 $ 78,010
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,180 0.14 1.77 $ 46.19 $ 96,070
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 400 0.41 5.36 $ 26.97 $ 56,090
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 300 0.07 0.93 $ 26.26 $ 54,620
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 300 0.08 1.08 $ 25.48 $ 52,990
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 290 0.12 1.53 $ 23.49 $ 48,860
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 280 0.16 2.03 $ 33.63 $ 69,940
Salt Lake City, UT 250 0.34 4.43 $ 13.77 $ 28,630
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 240 0.08 1.06 $ 29.16 $ 60,660
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 220 0.10 1.26 $ 40.83 $ 84,930


Map of location quotient of sound engineering technicians by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Sound Engineering Technicians:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,810 0.49 6.41 $ 37.50 $ 78,010
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 400 0.41 5.36 $ 26.97 $ 56,090
Salt Lake City, UT 250 0.34 4.43 $ 13.77 $ 28,630
Albuquerque, NM 80 0.21 2.70 $ 24.50 $ 50,960
Boulder, CO 30 0.18 2.41 $ 24.41 $ 50,760
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 280 0.16 2.03 $ 33.63 $ 69,940
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,180 0.14 1.77 $ 46.19 $ 96,070
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 290 0.12 1.53 $ 23.49 $ 48,860
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 120 0.11 1.44 $ 26.60 $ 55,320
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 140 0.11 1.41 $ 23.07 $ 47,990


Map of annual mean wages of sound engineering technicians by area, May 2021


Top paying metropolitan areas for Sound Engineering Technicians:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,180 0.14 1.77 $ 46.19 $ 96,070
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 220 0.10 1.26 $ 40.83 $ 84,930
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 130 0.05 0.66 $ 40.68 $ 84,620
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 120 0.05 0.62 $ 38.37 $ 79,810
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,810 0.49 6.41 $ 37.50 $ 78,010
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 70 0.05 0.66 $ 37.01 $ 76,970
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 60 0.03 0.42 $ 35.89 $ 74,660
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 120 0.06 0.81 $ 33.81 $ 70,320
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 280 0.16 2.03 $ 33.63 $ 69,940
Austin-Round Rock, TX 70 0.06 0.80 $ 33.61 $ 69,910


About May 2021 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 OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022