Audio and Video Technicians
Median $58,100
Occupation · SOC 27-4014
Sound Engineering Technicians: pay and where the jobs are
What sound engineering technicians earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$73,130 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $81,390
- Median hourly wage
- $35.16
- Mean hourly wage
- $39.13
- Employment
- 13,080
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-4014.
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See where your pay falls among sound engineering technicians nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do sound engineering technicians make?
The median annual wage for sound engineering technicians was $73,130 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $37,570 and the highest-paid 10% more than $137,370. As an hourly rate, the median is $35.16. About 13,080 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in New Jersey ($115,190), District of Columbia ($106,630) and New York ($87,510). New Jersey also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for sound engineering technicians looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,570 | $18.06 | $3,131 | $2,697 |
| 25th percentile | $49,910 | $23.99 | $4,159 | $3,524 |
| Median | $73,130 | $35.16 | $6,094 | $5,023 |
| 75th percentile | $100,280 | $48.21 | $8,357 | $6,615 |
| 90th percentile | $137,370 | $66.04 | $11,448 | $8,763 |
Sound Engineering Technicians: pay by state
36 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$77,243 take-home in national prices
2
$70,745 take-home in national prices
3
$68,339 take-home in national prices
Where a median sound engineering technician paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 290 | $115,190 | $43,350 | $163,030 | $84,044 | $77,243 |
| District of Columbia | 90 | $106,630 | $61,300 | $156,000 | $77,749 | $70,745 |
| New York | 2,050 | $87,510 | $52,620 | $157,600 | $65,856 | $61,022 |
| Nevada | 170 | $84,570 | $29,910 | $113,520 | $68,325 | $68,339 |
| Maryland | 160 | $79,990 | $50,440 | $108,260 | $61,669 | $58,756 |
| California | 4,060 | $78,150 | $45,720 | $143,130 | $59,766 | $53,979 |
| Georgia | 200 | $77,010 | $35,080 | $104,540 | $59,912 | $62,219 |
| Kentucky | 60 | $74,100 | $47,950 | $81,020 | $58,483 | $64,867 |
| Illinois | 570 | $73,130 | $31,200 | $113,460 | $56,802 | $56,826 |
| Indiana | 50 | $73,130 | $44,520 | $85,040 | $58,149 | $62,306 |
| Connecticut | 60 | $72,800 | $40,580 | $85,470 | $56,427 | $54,461 |
| Florida | 590 | $70,360 | $41,060 | $140,340 | $58,328 | $56,403 |
| Arizona | 130 | $66,350 | $36,310 | $110,570 | $54,227 | $53,863 |
| New Hampshire | 30 | $65,630 | $57,770 | $77,400 | $54,914 | $52,718 |
| Ohio | Not published | $64,030 | $31,200 | $131,090 | $52,311 | $56,385 |
| Nebraska | 50 | $63,810 | $42,070 | $84,480 | $51,428 | $57,076 |
| Massachusetts | 200 | $63,250 | $35,540 | $134,480 | $49,768 | $47,059 |
| Kansas | 30 | $62,710 | $42,600 | $107,270 | $49,868 | $55,367 |
| Missouri | 190 | $61,750 | $39,800 | $104,350 | $49,831 | $54,870 |
| Colorado | 170 | $60,630 | $40,970 | $84,970 | $48,670 | $47,229 |
| Tennessee | 510 | $60,500 | $42,230 | $158,160 | $50,792 | $55,287 |
| Montana | 50 | $57,600 | $28,080 | $67,390 | $46,511 | $49,143 |
| Iowa | 60 | $57,400 | $32,280 | $62,400 | $46,772 | $53,294 |
| Louisiana | Not published | $55,530 | $33,760 | $83,920 | $45,519 | $51,604 |
| Idaho | 40 | $54,970 | $32,280 | $78,870 | $44,543 | $46,645 |
| Texas | 830 | $54,370 | $34,920 | $83,120 | $45,866 | $47,257 |
| Michigan | 200 | $51,840 | $32,250 | $88,220 | $41,881 | $43,528 |
| Virginia | 120 | $49,920 | $26,910 | $105,240 | $40,234 | $39,795 |
| Pennsylvania | 160 | $49,490 | $28,530 | $72,470 | $40,391 | $41,396 |
| North Carolina | 170 | $49,150 | $29,540 | $85,140 | $40,220 | $42,639 |
| Maine | 40 | $48,380 | $42,580 | $93,230 | $39,223 | $40,416 |
| Wisconsin | 90 | $46,780 | $23,200 | $76,260 | $38,350 | $40,756 |
| New Mexico | 50 | $45,690 | $35,170 | $68,380 | $37,895 | $41,095 |
| South Carolina | Not published | $45,240 | $39,510 | $74,480 | $37,846 | $40,370 |
| Utah | 210 | $36,400 | $21,520 | $97,390 | $30,537 | $30,888 |
| Puerto Rico | 70 | $35,180 | $21,840 | $70,750 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-4014. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.