Average Sound Engineering Technicians Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Sound Engineering Technicians is $73,130 per year. The middle 50% earn between $49,910 and $100,280, with 13,080 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 39 states and 46 metro areas.
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
- $37,570
- 25th
- $49,910
- Median
- $73,130
- 75th
- $100,280
- 90th
- $137,370
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
Pay varies significantly across workers. Seniority, employer size, and specialization all move the needle, so it is normal for two sound engineering technicians at different points in their careers to earn very different salaries.
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 $115,190, about 57.5% above the national median. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ leads with a median of $97,510.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $115,190 | 290 |
| District of Columbia | $106,630 | 90 |
| New York | $87,510 | 2,050 |
| Nevada | $84,570 | 170 |
| Maryland | $79,990 | 160 |
| California | $78,150 | 4,060 |
| Georgia | $77,010 | 200 |
| Kentucky | $74,100 | 60 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $97,510 | 1,960 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $94,990 | 460 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $86,610 | 150 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $83,810 | 380 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $81,840 | 140 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $79,990 | 240 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,850 | 2,820 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77,420 | 140 |
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 2025, the national median salary for Sound Engineering Technicians rose from $54,740 to $73,130, a gain of +33.6% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $54,740 would need to be worth $68,933 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $73,130 is $4,197 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +6.1% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 6.1%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +33.6%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +6.1%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Sound Engineering Technicians median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $73,130
- 2024
- $66,430
- 2023
- $59,430
- 2022
- $60,670
- 2021
- $60,500
- 2020
- $53,520
- 2019
- $54,740
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Film And Video Editors
- $75,420
- Lighting Technicians
- $68,060
- Broadcast Technicians
- $59,570
- Audio And Video Technicians
- $58,100
- Photographers
- $44,660
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 2025 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.