What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Sound Engineering Technicians in the U.S. earn more than $73,130 a year — the middle 80% land between $37,570 and $137,370. About 13,080 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Sound Engineering Technicians”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$73,130typical pay / year
13,080people in this work
$137,370+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
The daily work18
Record speech, music, and other sounds
+Record the spoken intro, three music beds, and two foley passes live in Studio B at 11:00, set mic preamps…
Record speech, music, and other sounds
+Record the spoken intro, three music beds, and two foley passes live in Studio B at 11:00, set mic preamps and levels so dialogue peaks at -6 dB, roll takes until director nods, and label files with date and scene.
The tools that do the workApple macOSjob descriptionsO*NET
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Assemble and operate sound equipment
+Assemble the stage rig for tonight: hang two overheads and one vocal mic on boom stands, snake the outputs to…
Assemble and operate sound equipment
+Assemble the stage rig for tonight: hang two overheads and one vocal mic on boom stands, snake the outputs to the front snake, patch channels to the desk, check gain structure and headphone mixes, and sign the safety checklist before soundcheck at 18:00.
The tools that do the workApple macOSESCOjob descriptions
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Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
+Monitor and adjust stage gain, EQ, and compressor settings at the control console throughout the session so…
Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
+Monitor and adjust stage gain, EQ, and compressor settings at the control console throughout the session so vocal and instrument levels stay between minus 18 and minus 6 LUFS, call breaks for headphone checks, and log any clipping incidents.
The tools that do the workApple macOSO*NET
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Tear down equipment after event completion.
+Coordinate the crew to power down and stow speakers, microphones, cables and stands after the last set, mark…
Tear down equipment after event completion.
+Coordinate the crew to power down and stow speakers, microphones, cables and stands after the last set, mark damaged items on the inventory sheet, pack flight cases safely and confirm truck load with venue stage manager before leaving.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Create musical instrument digital interface programs for music projects, commercials, or film postproduction.
+Design and program the instrument patches and MIDI mapping for the spot, creating layered synths, sampled…
Create musical instrument digital interface programs for music projects, commercials, or film postproduction.
+Design and program the instrument patches and MIDI mapping for the spot, creating layered synths, sampled drums and automation lanes, test them against the director's temp mix, and deliver labeled patch banks for session recall.
The tools that do the workApple macOSO*NET
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Convert video and audio records to digital formats
+Capture analog multitrack stems, downconvert camera audio, clean noise and time-align each track, export…
Convert video and audio records to digital formats
+Capture analog multitrack stems, downconvert camera audio, clean noise and time-align each track, export 24-bit WAV masters and a version mixed to reference loudness, then upload both with session notes.
The tools that do the workApple macOSjob descriptions
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Synchronize sounds and dialogue with action
+Align ADR and production tracks to picture, nudge dialogue to lip movement, add room tone fades and check…
Synchronize sounds and dialogue with action
+Align ADR and production tracks to picture, nudge dialogue to lip movement, add room tone fades and check transitions at cut points so every line reads on screen with consistent ambience and intelligibility for the final mix.
The tools that do the workApple macOSjob descriptions
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Musical instruments
+Practice and maintain the required instrument parts, tune and set up each instrument for session readiness,…
Musical instruments
+Practice and maintain the required instrument parts, tune and set up each instrument for session readiness, note fingering or patch changes for other players, and coordinate warmups before take one.
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Maintain sound equipment
+Inspect the live rig and studio racks today, test each speaker, mic, DI and cable, log failures with serial…
Maintain sound equipment
+Inspect the live rig and studio racks today, test each speaker, mic, DI and cable, log failures with serial numbers, swap in the spares, recalibrate the mixer gain structure, and confirm inventory ready for Friday’s rehearsal.
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Technically design a sound system
+Design the PA layout for the 400-capacity room, specify speaker models, amp channels, sub placement, coverage…
Technically design a sound system
+Design the PA layout for the 400-capacity room, specify speaker models, amp channels, sub placement, coverage angles and cable runs, produce a single annotated diagram and a materials list for tomorrow’s load-in.
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Manage personal professional development
+Put together a one-year development plan: list three production skills to learn, two gear workshops to…
Manage personal professional development
+Put together a one-year development plan: list three production skills to learn, two gear workshops to attend, four reference albums to study, and set monthly milestones with budget and a review on the first Monday of each month.
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Work ergonomically
+Reconfigure the studio desk and monitor stands this afternoon to keep screens at eye level, set chair and…
Work ergonomically
+Reconfigure the studio desk and monitor stands this afternoon to keep screens at eye level, set chair and keyboard heights, label optimal mic positions, and write a short checklist to follow before every session.
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Use personal protection equipment
+Check and don my ear protection, tight-fitting gloves and steel-toe boots before I touch cables or…
Use personal protection equipment
+Check and don my ear protection, tight-fitting gloves and steel-toe boots before I touch cables or instruments, catalogue any damaged PPE, replace missing items, and note it on the kit log before the session starts at 14:00.
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Follow safety procedures when working at heights
+Before rigging the drum riser at the theatre, run the fall-arrest inspection, fit my harness, brief the…
Follow safety procedures when working at heights
+Before rigging the drum riser at the theatre, run the fall-arrest inspection, fit my harness, brief the stagehand team on anchor points and radio check, and only start work after the venue safety officer signs off at 09:30.
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Operate an audio mixing console
+Set the console at my preferred monitor mix, label the channel strips for drums, bass, guitars and vocals,…
Operate an audio mixing console
+Set the console at my preferred monitor mix, label the channel strips for drums, bass, guitars and vocals, run a line check with each musician at -12 dB, save the mix snapshot, and log any outboard routing changes.
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Keep up with trends
+Scan the streaming charts and three key playlists, compile five new production techniques and two emerging…
Keep up with trends
+Scan the streaming charts and three key playlists, compile five new production techniques and two emerging artists notes, then draft a one-page brief with example links to bring to tomorrow's creative meeting.
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Fit up sound on stage
+Walk the stage with the FOH engineer and monitor tech, check speaker angles, set delay towers, mark cable…
Fit up sound on stage
+Walk the stage with the FOH engineer and monitor tech, check speaker angles, set delay towers, mark cable runs, confirm SPL limits with the promoter, and sign off the stage map before soundcheck at 16:00.
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Work with respect for own safety
+Before the session, review the safety rules, verify my PPE fits, refuse any task that feels unsafe, document…
Work with respect for own safety
+Before the session, review the safety rules, verify my PPE fits, refuse any task that feels unsafe, document concerns to the production manager, and request changes rather than compromising my own safety.
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Fixing1
Make routine repairs on equipment
+Carry out routine maintenance on the live rig: replace worn XLRs on the vocal channel, reseat loose fader…
Make routine repairs on equipment
+Carry out routine maintenance on the live rig: replace worn XLRs on the vocal channel, reseat loose fader pots on the console, clean contact spray on two problematic jacks, then run a tone sweep and document repairs in the log.
The tools that do the workApple macOSjob descriptionsO*NET
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Keeping the record1
Keep logs of recordings.
+After the three-hour session, compile the recording log: list takes with start/stop times, performer, mic and…
Keep logs of recordings.
+After the three-hour session, compile the recording log: list takes with start/stop times, performer, mic and channel used, notes on performance quality and any technical issues, export as a session report and send to the producer and label A&R.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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Says who?
These are the pages we read to build this. Open any of them and check us.
Activities this job lives in
The human activities behind the tasks — each with its honest AI ceiling.
The logs, files & records this job keeps
Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
The rest of the map
Same library, five ways in.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses