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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.
- Median pay
- $66,430
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- -1.7%
- Declining
- Typical entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Key skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
What they do
- Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording 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.
- Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage.
- Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
- Set up, test, and adjust recording equipment for recording sessions and live performances.
- Prepare for recording sessions by performing such activities as selecting and setting up microphones.
- Keep logs of recordings.
- Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards.
- Synchronize and equalize prerecorded dialogue, music, and sound effects with visual action of motion pictures or television productions, using control consoles.
- Reproduce and duplicate sound recordings from original recording media, using sound editing and duplication equipment.
Majors that lead here
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.