Sound Engineering Technicians
SOC 27-4014 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $80,338per year
- Projected openings
- 3,530
- Projected change
- +2.2%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Operation and Control
- Reading Comprehension
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $101,623 | 230 |
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | $98,015 | 30 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $80,329 | 2,550 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $60,223 | 130 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $49,109 | 250 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | Not reported | 40 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | Not reported | 120 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $47,000
- A quarter earn under
- $54,638
- Half earn under
- $80,338
- Three quarters earn under
- $103,735
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $147,137
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio and Video Technicians | $66,429 | 9,360 | +6.3% |
| Broadcast Technicians | $74,838 | 2,230 | +3.6% |
| Lighting Technicians | $96,703 | 2,490 | 0% |
| Calibration Technologists and Technicians | $81,222 | 1,070 | 0% |
| Producers and Directors | $133,423 | 31,850 | +12.2% |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $88,500 | 11,520 | -2.9% |
Programs that train for this job — 4
1500 Music & Industry Fundamentals
1500 Sound Academy · Inglewood · $15,550
Recording Arts & Technology
Globe Institute of Recording and Production · Sausalito · $3,000
MUSX: Associate in Science degree in Audio Visual Technology
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $4,972
MUSX: Audio Visual Technology Certificate of Achievement
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $1,953