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Chief Engineers, Transmission Engineers, and Broadcast Field Supervisors
Overview » Industry Pathways » Journalism and Broadcasting 
Chief engineers, transmission engineers, and broadcast field supervisors oversee other technicians and maintain broadcasting equipment. They are often attracted to leadership roles based on their years of experience, knowledge of the broadcasting field, and desire to supervise the work of others.
The transition to digital recording, editing, and broadcasting has greatly changed the work of broadcast and sound engineering technicians and radio operators. Software on desktop computers has replaced specialized electronic equipment in many recording and editing functions.
Most radio and television stations have replaced video and audio tapes with computer hard drives and other computer data storage systems. This transition has forced technicians to learn computer networking and software skills.
Many people get excited about the possibility of working in television or the film industry. People seeking entry-level jobs as technicians in broadcasting are expected to face strong competition in major metropolitan areas, where pay generally is higher and the number of qualified jobseekers is typically greater than the number of openings. It is probably easier to find entry-level positions in small cities and towns.
Overall employment of chief engineers, transmission engineers, and broadcast field supervisors is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2012.
Employment of chief engineers, transmission engineers, and broadcast field supervisors in the cable and pay television portion of the broadcasting industry should grow as the range of services is expanded to provide, such products as cable Internet access and video-on-demand. Employment of these workers in the motion picture industry will grow rapidly. However, job prospects are expected to remain competitive because of the large number of people who are attracted by the glamour of working in motion pictures.
The best way to prepare for a job as a chief engineer, transmission engineer, and broadcast field supervisor is to obtain technical school, community college, or college training in electronics, computer networking, or broadcast technology. Chief engineers, transmission engineers, and broadcast field supervisors need the electronics training necessary to operate technical equipment, and they generally complete specialized postsecondary programs. Be prepared to do some hard work and put in some very long hours, but this can provide a big pay-off with the important networking that is necessary to break into this industry.
In the motion picture industry, people are hired as apprentice editorial assistants and work their way up to more skilled jobs. Employers in the motion picture industry usually hire experienced freelance technicians on a picture-by-picture basis.
Chief engineers, transmission engineers, and broadcast field supervisors generally need a high school diploma. Many recent entrants have a community college degree or various other forms of postsecondary degrees, although that is not always a requirement. They may substitute on-the-job training for formal education requirements. Working in a studio, as an assistant, is a great way of gaining experience and knowledge.
Television stations usually pay higher salaries than do radio stations; commercial broadcasting usually pays more than public broadcasting; and stations in large markets pay more than those in small markets.
Typical annual earnings of broadcast technicians in 2002 were $27,760. Typical annual earnings of sound engineering technicians in 2002 were $36,970. Typical annual earnings of audio and video equipment technicians in 2002 were $31,110.
If you are interested in this occupation or are wondering about related occupations, use the links below to continue your exploration. Always remember, the more effort you put into exploring possible careers, the easier it will be for you to discover the best career choices for you!
For career information and links to employment resources contact:
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Occupational Information Network, O*NET Online: http://online.onetcenter.org/
National Association of Broadcasters: http://www.nab.org
Society of Broadcast Engineers: http://www.sbe.org
For information about planning and paying for college, visit Junior Achievement’s Financial Aid Center.
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