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Sound Engineer

$66,430
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Set up and operate equipment to record, mix, and balance sound for music, shows, and broadcasts.

Where you work

Studios, venues, and event sites

The hours

Evenings and weekends common

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$66,430
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~1,200
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
-2%
Declining
Working in the U.S.
16,900
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Certificate program

Training path: Certificate plus hands-on training.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

What it takes

Audio mixingEquipment setupListeningTechnical skill

The honest take

Runs the equipment that records, mixes, and balances sound for music, film, and live events.

Standard Occupational Classification 27-4014. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.