Average Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Sound Engineering Technicians is $66,430 per year. The middle 50% earn between $47,680 and $99,950, with 13,050 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 37 states and 47 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Sound Engineering Technicians pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $36,600
- 25th
- $47,680
- Median
- $66,430
- 75th
- $99,950
- 90th
- $134,980
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Sound Engineering Technicians earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The pay band is unusually wide for this occupation. Experience, employer, and specialization can double or even triple an early-career salary, so what sound engineering technicians earn depends heavily on where they are in their career and who they work for.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for sound engineering technicians from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -1.7%
- -300 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 1,200
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Postsecondary training beyond high school is typically required, but a full four-year degree is not always necessary.
Where Sound Engineering Technicians earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where sound engineering technicians work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is New Jersey at $111,580, about 68.0% above the national median. At the metro level, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA leads with a median of $119,600.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $111,580 | 320 |
| Washington | $110,950 | 350 |
| District of Columbia | $101,550 | 90 |
| Arizona | $97,380 | 250 |
| New York | $87,180 | 1,690 |
| Nevada | $81,720 | 160 |
| California | $78,020 | 3,800 |
| Alabama | $77,420 | 50 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $119,600 | 290 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $98,220 | 340 |
| Syracuse, NY | $97,850 | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $92,630 | 1,500 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $85,690 | 330 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $83,080 | 70 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $80,470 | 140 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,620 | 2,800 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see sound engineering technicians pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Sound Engineering Technicians rose from $54,740 to $66,430, a gain of +21.4% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $54,740 would need to be worth $67,166 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $66,430 is −$736 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -1.1% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 21.4%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +21.4%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- -1.1%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Sound Engineering Technicians median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $54,740
- 2020
- $53,520
- 2021
- $60,500
- 2022
- $60,670
- 2023
- $59,430
- 2024
- $66,430
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Film And Video Editors
- $70,980
- Lighting Technicians
- $60,560
- Audio And Video Technicians
- $54,830
- Broadcast Technicians
- $53,920
- Photographers
- $42,520
- Set And Exhibit Designers
- $66,280
Common salary questions for Sound Engineering Technicians
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Sound Engineering Technicians workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.