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What You Need to Know About Sound Engineering Technician

Career Description Operate machines and equipment to record, synchronize, mix, or reproduce music, voices, or sound effects in sporting arenas, theater productions, recording studios, or movie and video productions.

Sound Engineering Technician Responsibilities

Create musical instrument digital interface programs for music projects, commercials, or film postproduction.
Reproduce and duplicate sound recordings from original recording media, using sound editing and duplication equipment.
Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.
Synchronize and equalize prerecorded dialogue, music, and sound effects with visual action of motion pictures or television productions, using control consoles.
Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards.
Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage.

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Things a Sound Engineering Technician Should Know How to Do

Sound Engineering Technicians state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Types of Sound Engineering Technician

Theater Technician
Machine Room Operator
Audio Production Manager
Sound Cutter
Editor

Job Opportunities for Sound Engineering Technicians

In the United States, there were 17,000 jobs for Sound Engineering Technician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,100 new jobs for Sound Engineering Technician by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 1,700 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Sound Engineering Technician are Washington, Georgia, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in New Mexico, Nebraska, or Minnesota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Sound Engineering Technician Salary

The salary for Sound Engineering Technicians ranges between about $25,680 and $117,600 a year.

Sound Engineering Technicians who work in Connecticut, Louisiana, or Washington, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Sound Engineering Technicians in different U.S. states.

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alabama	$39,140
Colorado	$52,990
Connecticut	$87,420
District of Columbia	$79,410
Florida	$56,010
Georgia	$62,640
Hawaii	$42,230
Illinois	$60,500
Iowa	$54,020
Kentucky	$53,490
Louisiana	$88,610
Maryland	$51,670
Massachusetts	$57,110
Michigan	$65,540
Minnesota	$42,840
Missouri	$48,080
Nevada	$57,010
New Jersey	$55,570
New York	$82,030
North Carolina	$51,060
Ohio	$48,060
Oregon	$43,180
Pennsylvania	$45,540
South Carolina	$49,210
Tennessee	$56,940
Texas	$59,810
Utah	$30,240
Virginia	$53,780
Washington	$77,020
Wisconsin	$58,930

What Tools & Technology do Sound Engineering Technicians Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Sound Engineering Technicians may use on a daily basis:

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Office
Microsoft PowerPoint
Git
Data entry software
Microsoft Windows
Autodesk AutoCAD
Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
Microsoft Visio
Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
Linux
Facebook
UNIX
Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
Computer aided design CAD software
Apple Final Cut Pro
Apple macOS
Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
Microsoft operating system

Becoming a Sound Engineering Technician

What education or degrees do I need to become a Sound Engineering Technician?

How many years of work experience do I need?

References:

Image Credit: Joalpe via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

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