The median US sound engineering technician earned 73,130 US dollars in 2024, yet the BLS projects that specialty to shrink by 1 percent or more through 2034 even as related audio and video technician jobs grow 3 to 4 percent (ONET / BLS OEWS, May 2024). The wider occupation is bigger and more divided than a single salary suggests: about 146,100 broadcast, sound, and video technicians work in the US at a combined median of 56,600, alongside 169,800 musicians and singers. Freelancers, who the wage survey never counts, quote 25 to 500 US dollars an hour. And the studio remains one of the least diverse rooms in media, with women holding just 5.9 percent of producer credits on 2024’s biggest hits. This analysis consolidates data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, ONET, USC Annenberg, the RIAA, NIOSH, and 10 other primary sources to map audio engineering careers in 2026.
TL;DR
- Sound engineering technicians earned a median 73,130 US dollars in 2024; the specialty is projected to decline 1 percent or more by 2034 (O*NET / BLS, 2024).
- About 146,100 broadcast, sound, and video technicians worked in the US in 2024, median wage 56,600 (BLS OOH, 2024).
- Audio and video technicians are the growth engine: 92,300 jobs, projected up 3 to 4 percent to 2034 (O*NET / BLS, 2024).
- 169,800 musicians and singers work in the US, with a median hourly wage of 42.45 in May 2024 (BLS, 2024).
- The OEWS wage survey counts only about 13,050 salaried sound engineers, excluding freelancers (SonicScoop / BLS, 2024).
- Freelance audio engineers charge 25 to 500 US dollars an hour, averaging about 150 (Twine, 2025).
- Women held just 5.9 percent of producer credits on 2024 Hot 100 hits; 93.3 percent of 13 years of songs had none (USC Annenberg, 2025).
- Women and non-binary people held only 2.8 percent of combined producer and engineer credits analyzed (Fix the Mix / We Are Moving the Needle).
- US recorded music revenue hit 17.7 billion US dollars in 2024, 84 percent from streaming (RIAA, 2024).
- Live music supported roughly 913,000 US jobs and 132.6 billion in economic impact (Oxford Economics).
- The global professional audio market was worth 12.50 billion US dollars in 2025 (Mordor Intelligence, 2025).
- NIOSH caps safe workplace noise at 85 dBA over 8 hours; 52 percent of musicians studied exceeded it (NIOSH/CDC).
1. How Many Audio Engineering Jobs Exist
The occupation is fragmented across BLS codes, which is why “how many audio engineers are there” has no single clean answer. The largest bucket is audio and video technicians (people who set up and run sound and video gear), not the studio-centric sound engineering technicians most people picture. Audio and video technicians outnumber sound engineering technicians roughly five to one, 92,300 versus 16,900. The wage survey undercounts the field further because it excludes the self-employed, who make up much of studio and live work.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Broadcast, sound, and video technicians (2024) | 146,100 | BLS OOH, 2024 |
| Sound engineering technicians (27-4014) | 16,900 | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Audio and video technicians (27-4011) | 92,300 | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Broadcast technicians (27-4012) | 24,800 | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Musicians and singers (27-2042) | 169,800 | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Salaried sound engineers in OEWS wage survey | ~13,050 | SonicScoop / BLS, 2024 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Broadcast, Sound, and Video Technicians and O*NET Sound Engineering Technicians.
Count note: the OEWS salaried figure (~13,050) trails the 16,900 employment-projections base because the latter includes self-employed engineers the wage survey never captures.
2. Wages and Earnings
Pay swings widely by specialty and by where you sit on the distribution. Sound engineering technicians command the highest detail-occupation median at 73,130 US dollars, well above audio and video technicians at 58,100. The combined broadcast, sound, and video group has a long tail: the top 10 percent clear 104,610 while the bottom 10 percent earn under 33,980, a spread that reflects the gap between staff broadcast jobs and elite studio or touring work.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sound engineering technician median wage | $73,130/yr ($35.16/hr) | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Audio and video technician median wage | $58,100/yr ($27.93/hr) | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Broadcast technician median wage | $59,570/yr ($28.64/hr) | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Combined group median wage (May 2024) | $56,600/yr | BLS OOH, 2024 |
| Combined group, top 10 percent | more than $104,610 | BLS OOH, 2024 |
| Combined group, bottom 10 percent | less than $33,980 | BLS OOH, 2024 |
| Sound engineer, top 25 percent | $99,950 | US News / BLS, 2024 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook wage section and BLS OEWS current tables, 27-4014.
Context note: these are wage-and-salary figures. Full-time freelancers and independent studio owners are absent, so real earnings at the top of the field run higher than the survey shows.
3. Job Outlook and Projections
The headline “slower than average” masks a sharp internal split. Audio and video technician roles are projected to grow 3 to 4 percent to 2034, while sound engineering and broadcast technician jobs are projected to decline by 1 percent or more. The growth is driven by corporate video, streaming, live events, and digital signage; the decline hits traditional radio and studio staff positions. Even shrinking specialties still open thousands of slots a year through retirement and turnover.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Combined group growth (2024-2034) | +1% (slower than average) | BLS OOH, 2024 |
| Combined annual job openings | ~11,100/yr | BLS OOH, 2024 |
| Audio and video technicians growth | +3% to 4% | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Sound engineering technicians growth | -1% or lower | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Broadcast technicians growth | -1% or lower | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Musicians and singers growth | +1% to 2% | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Music directors and composers growth | little or no change | BLS OOH, 2024 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment projections and O*NET Audio and Video Technicians.
Outlook note: about 19,400 openings a year exist for musicians and singers and 4,300 for music directors and composers, almost all from replacement rather than net new demand (BLS, 2024).
4. Where the Jobs Are: Industries, Regions, and Demand
Audio careers cluster where content and events concentrate. Recorded music alone generated 17.7 billion US dollars in the US in 2024, and live music supported roughly 913,000 jobs, the two demand engines behind studio and stage work. Geographically the field is thin and coastal: New York and California lead, followed by Florida, Illinois, and Tennessee. The parallel hardware economy also grew, with the global professional audio market reaching 12.50 billion US dollars in 2025.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US recorded music revenue (2024) | $17.7B retail (84% streaming) | RIAA, 2024 |
| US recorded music, paid subscribers (2025) | 106.5M accounts | RIAA, 2025 |
| Musicians employed by religious organizations | 43.2% | BLS, 2024 |
| Highest-paying industry for musicians | motion pictures, ~$86,098 | BLS, 2024 |
| Live music US economic impact / jobs | $132.6B / 913,000 jobs | Oxford Economics |
| Sound recording establishments (US) | 4,146 firms / 4,402 locations | US Census, 2020 |
| Global professional audio market (2025) | $12.50B (CAGR 6.1%) | Mordor Intelligence, 2025 |
| Top employment states | NY, CA, FL, IL, TN | SonicScoop / BLS, 2024 |
Source: RIAA 2024 Year-End Revenue Report and Oxford Economics, concerts and live entertainment. For the gear side of the market, see our pro audio equipment statistics 2026.
Regional note: California’s lead over New York has narrowed to about 2.4 sound-engineering jobs to 1, the smallest gap in nearly a decade as coastal cost gaps closed (SonicScoop / BLS, 2024).
5. Workforce Demographics and the Studio Gender Gap
Audio production is one of the least gender-balanced rooms in media, and the numbers are moving the wrong way. Women held just 5.9 percent of producer credits on 2024’s Hot 100 hits, and 93.3 percent of songs across 13 years had no women in the producer’s chair (USC Annenberg). By the initiative’s 2025 data the producer share slipped again to 4.4 percent. Engineering is even more skewed than producing, and the field also skews white by ethnicity.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Women producers, Hot 100 (2024) | 5.9% | USC Annenberg, 2025 |
| Women producers (2023 / 2012) | 6.5% / 2.4% | USC Annenberg, 2025 |
| Songs with no women producers (13 yrs) | 93.3% | USC Annenberg, 2025 |
| Women producers, latest data (2025) | 4.4% | USC Annenberg, 2025 |
| Women and non-binary producers + engineers | 2.8% of credits | Fix the Mix |
| Representation range by genre | 0% (metal) to 17.6% | Fix the Mix |
| Audio/video engineers who are White | 62.7% | Zippia, 2025 |
| Audio/video engineers Hispanic / Black | 15.7% / 9.7% | Zippia, 2025 |
Source: USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, popular music report and Fix the Mix / We Are Moving the Needle.
Diversity note: Fix the Mix analyzed 1,128 songs and found representation ranging from 0 percent in metal to 11.2 percent in electronic and 5.5 percent in pop, confirming the gap is broad rather than genre-specific.
6. Freelance Economy, Rates, and Skills
Most audio engineers do not show up in the BLS salary tables because they freelance, and their rate structures look nothing like a staff wage. Marketplace audio engineers charge 25 to 500 US dollars an hour, averaging about 150, with most independents quoting 75 to 125. Live-sound engineers bill by the day, and producers increasingly stack revenue streams rather than rely on a single fee. The toolchain has shifted too: fluency across modern software is now table stakes for the job.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance audio engineer hourly range | $25 to $500 (avg ~$150) | Twine, 2025 |
| Typical independent engineer rate | $75 to $125/hr | Twine, 2025 |
| Live-sound A1 engineer day rate | ~$400/day plus expenses | Twine, 2025 |
| Freelance music producer hourly | $25 to $100/hr | Research.com, 2026 |
| Full-time independent producer income | $35,000 to $120,000/yr | Chartlex, 2026 |
| Multi-stream producers vs single-stream | 2.7x higher earnings | Chartlex, 2026 |
Source: Twine audio engineer hourly rates. Software fluency is central to the role; see our DAW market statistics 2026 for the tools engineers work in, and podcasting statistics 2026 for a fast-growing source of freelance audio work.
Skills note: the day-rate and per-project data come from freelance platforms and industry rate guides rather than a government survey, so treat them as directional benchmarks, not census-grade figures.
7. Occupational Health: Hearing Risk on the Job
Sound is the raw material of the work, which makes hearing loss an occupational hazard rather than an edge case. NIOSH recommends noise stay under 85 dBA averaged over an 8-hour shift, yet 52 percent of musicians studied exceeded that daily dose, and concert or symphonic settings routinely reach 89 to 90 dBA. Audio engineers, DJs, and crew share that exposure. The figures below come from NIOSH and peer-reviewed studies and are presented as factual context, not medical guidance.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NIOSH recommended noise limit | 85 dBA over 8 hours | NIOSH/CDC |
| Musicians exceeding daily noise dose | 52% | NIOSH/CDC |
| Typical concert/symphonic band level | 89 to 90 dBA | NIOSH/CDC |
| Noise-induced hearing loss, student musicians | ~45% | Peer-reviewed study (PMC) |
| Risk onset at 94 dBA | after ~1 hour | NIOSH/CDC |
| At-risk roles | engineers, DJs, crew, teachers | NIOSH/CDC |
Source: NIOSH/CDC, Hearing Loss Strikes a Sour Note for Too Many Musicians and study on noise-induced hearing loss among pop/rock/jazz musicians. For prevention data across the industry, see our hearing protection statistics 2026.
Health note: the noise-induced hearing loss prevalence figures come from targeted studies of musicians and student musicians, which are the most relevant available proxies for audio-industry exposure but are older than the BLS labor data in this piece.
Summary: Audio Engineering Careers by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Broadcast, sound, and video technicians (2024) | 146,100 | BLS OOH, 2024 |
| Sound engineering technicians | 16,900 | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Audio and video technicians | 92,300 | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Musicians and singers | 169,800 | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Sound engineering technician median wage | $73,130/yr | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Audio and video technician median wage | $58,100/yr | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Combined group median wage | $56,600/yr | BLS OOH, 2024 |
| Combined group, top 10 percent | more than $104,610 | BLS OOH, 2024 |
| Combined group growth (2024-2034) | +1% | BLS OOH, 2024 |
| Audio and video technicians growth | +3% to 4% | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Sound engineering technicians growth | -1% or lower | O*NET / BLS, 2024 |
| Annual openings, combined group | ~11,100/yr | BLS OOH, 2024 |
| Freelance audio engineer hourly | $25 to $500 (avg ~$150) | Twine, 2025 |
| Women producers, Hot 100 (2024) | 5.9% | USC Annenberg, 2025 |
| Women + non-binary producers + engineers | 2.8% | Fix the Mix |
| US recorded music revenue (2024) | $17.7B | RIAA, 2024 |
| Live music US jobs supported | 913,000 | Oxford Economics |
| Global professional audio market (2025) | $12.50B | Mordor Intelligence, 2025 |
| NIOSH recommended noise limit | 85 dBA / 8 hrs | NIOSH/CDC |
| Musicians exceeding daily noise dose | 52% | NIOSH/CDC |
Methodology and Sources
Data was gathered from US government labor statistics, academic and union-backed diversity studies, industry revenue reports, and market-research firms; every wage and employment figure is anchored to the BLS and its O*NET mirror, market-size figures are attributed to the specific firm, and older health studies are flagged as such. This roundup covers the audio engineering occupation across all industries, distinct from the game-audio niche detailed in our game audio industry statistics 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Outlook Handbook and OEWS May 2024 (employment, wages, projections) - bls.gov/ooh
- O*NET Online / BLS - occupation summaries for 27-4014, 27-4011, 27-4012, 27-2042 - onetonline.org
- BLS OEWS - current wage tables for sound engineering technicians - bls.gov/oes
- BLS OOH - Musicians and Singers and Music Directors and Composers - bls.gov/ooh musicians
- USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative - Inclusion in the Recording Studio? (2025) and annual popular music report - annenberg.usc.edu
- We Are Moving the Needle / Jaxsta - Fix the Mix report (1,128 songs, technical credits) - wearemovingtheneedle.org
- RIAA - 2024 Year-End Revenue Report and 2025 Year-End Report - riaa.com
- Oxford Economics - The Concerts and Live Entertainment Industry economic-impact study - oxfordeconomics.com
- Mordor Intelligence - Professional Audio Market size and forecast (2025) - mordorintelligence.com
- Grand View Research - Audio Equipment Market size (2025) - grandviewresearch.com
- NIOSH / CDC - Hearing Loss Strikes a Sour Note for Too Many Musicians (noise exposure) - archive.cdc.gov
- Twine - Audio Engineer Hourly Rates (freelance benchmarks, 2025) - twine.net
- SonicScoop - 2025 Audio Engineer Salaries and Jobs Report (BLS OEWS analysis) - sonicscoop.com
- US Census / trade sources - sound recording industry establishment counts - reported via industry databases
- Peer-reviewed study (PMC) - noise-induced hearing loss among professional musicians - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Data watch: the BLS updates OEWS wages annually each spring and refreshes its 2024-2034 employment projections on a two-year cycle, so a May 2025 wage vintage is expected to appear in 2026. The RIAA publishes year-end revenue every March, and USC Annenberg releases its inclusion reports each January, meaning fresher diversity and revenue figures are due before the next quarterly review.
Last updated: July 13, 2026.
We review and update this page quarterly as new data is published.