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Sound Engineering Technicians and Recording Engineers
Overview » Industry Pathways » Journalism and Broadcasting 
Sound engineering technicians and recording engineers operate machines and equipment to record, synchronize, mix, or reproduce music, voices, or sound effects in recording studios, sporting arenas, theater productions, or movie and video productions. While their work involves live productions, much of their work is considered pre-production because it is created and arranged hours or days before the show actually airs. Technicians also work in program production.
The terms “operator,” “engineer,” and “technician” often are used interchangeably to describe these jobs. Workers in these positions may monitor and log outgoing signals and operate transmitters; set up, adjust, service, and repair electronic broadcasting equipment; and regulate brightness, contrast, volume, and sound quality of television broadcasts.
Recording engineers operate and maintain video and sound recording equipment. They may operate equipment designed to produce special effects, such as the illusions of a bolt of lightning or a police siren. Sound mixers or re-recording mixers produce soundtracks for movies or television programs. After the filming or recording is complete, these workers may use a process called “dubbing” to insert sounds.
Sound engineering technicians held about 16,000 jobs in 2006.
About 32 percent worked in broadcasting (except Internet) and 16 percent worked in the motion picture and sound recording industries. Almost one in 10 were self-employed. Television stations employ, on average, many more technicians than do radio stations.
Some technicians are employed in other industries, producing employee communications, sales, and training programs. Technician jobs in television are located in virtually all cities, whereas jobs in radio are also found in many small towns.
The highest paying and most specialized jobs are concentrated in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.; the originating centers for most network or news programs. Motion picture production jobs are concentrated in Los Angeles and New York City and filming is often done in other parts of the world such as Canada, England, or throughout Europe.
Lots of people get excited about the possibility of working in these fields, especially 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 broadcast and sound engineering technicians is expected to grow about average for all occupations through the year 2016.
Employment of sound engineering technicians 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 sound engineering technician job is to obtain technical school, community college, or college training in electronics, computer networking, or broadcast technology. Broadcast and sound engineering technicians and radio operators need the electronics training necessary to operate technical equipment, and they generally complete specialized postsecondary programs.
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.
Reputation and determination are important in getting jobs. 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 so necessary to break into this industry.
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 sound engineering technicians in 2007 were $46,5500.
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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