Audio Technician: Average Salary of an Audio Technician
Whenever you are listening to your favorite TV or radio newscaster, you can thank an Audio Technician for the quality of the sound. If you are interested in working with audio equipment used in broadcasting or recording, you might consider a career as an Audio Technician. Information regarding the career outlook and average salary for an Audio Technician is discussed in this article.
Audio Technician Career Summary
An Audio Technician is responsible for setting up and monitoring sound equipment for television and radio broadcasts. An Audio Technician is trained to use equipment such as sound mixers, CD/tape players, microphones and radio transmitters. In addition to television and radio stations, Audio Technicians can work for theaters, movie productions, recording studios and even at sports stadiums. A number of community and technical colleges offer associate's and bachelor's degree programs in broadcast technology, which include communications courses in addition to classes in digital electronics, TV broadcasting, digital imaging and editing. Some colleges and universities offer live or online programs leading to an Audio Technician certificate. Degree and certificate programs offer fundamental training in digital recording equipment, Internet broadcasting and wireless equipment.
Audio Technician Career Outlook and Salary Information
With expanding cable TV stations, Internet broadcasting and satellite radio, the demand for Audio Technicians is expected to grow over the next ten years. Job growth is expected to be tied to not only the operation of audio equipment, but the service and maintenance of it as well. The field of audio technology should see a 24 percent growth through 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov. The Bureau also reports that the median salary for an Audio Technician is $34,840, with the top ten percent earning over $62,000. According to Salary.com, the national average salary for an Audio Technician is between $36,519 and $50,740. An Audio Technician can potentially move on to other job titles, such as senior audio engineer, senior recording engineer or studio manager.