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.
Keeping the record3
Record speech, music, and other sounds
+Record the voiceover, guitar, and room ambience for Priya’s short film today, capture separate clean takes…
Record speech, music, and other sounds
+Record the voiceover, guitar, and room ambience for Priya’s short film today, capture separate clean takes for each microphone, note take numbers and levels, and deliver timecoded WAV files to the editor by 6pm.
The tools that do the workApple macOSjob descriptionsO*NET
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Assemble and operate sound equipment
+Assemble the PA and monitor rig for tonight’s three-hour set at The Loft, patch and label all XLR runs,…
Assemble and operate sound equipment
+Assemble the PA and monitor rig for tonight’s three-hour set at The Loft, patch and label all XLR runs, soundcheck drums and vocals with the band at 6pm, and secure speaker stands and cable ramps before doors.
The tools that do the workApple macOSESCOjob descriptions
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Keep logs of recordings.
+Create the session log for today’s band tracking: list song titles, take numbers, mic placements, channel…
Keep logs of recordings.
+Create the session log for today’s band tracking: list song titles, take numbers, mic placements, channel strip settings, tempo, sample rate, notes on performance issues, and export as a searchable PDF for the producer.
The tools that do the workApple macOSjob descriptionsO*NET
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Fixing1
Make routine repairs on equipment
+Inspect the studio mic preamps and one broken headphone amp, replace the faulty tube and blown fuse,…
Make routine repairs on equipment
+Inspect the studio mic preamps and one broken headphone amp, replace the faulty tube and blown fuse, calibrate gain staging, log parts used, and verify all channels pass a loop test before the afternoon session.
The tools that do the workApple macOSjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work16
Use personal protection equipment
+Put on the ear protection, hard hat, and steel-toe boots before touching patch bays or mic stands, check PPE…
Use personal protection equipment
+Put on the ear protection, hard hat, and steel-toe boots before touching patch bays or mic stands, check PPE fit and damage, log any faults to maintenance, and only start wiring once protection is confirmed by the stage manager.
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Follow safety procedures when working at heights
+Before climbing the lighting grid, inspect the rigging, secure my harness to the rated anchor, have a…
Follow safety procedures when working at heights
+Before climbing the lighting grid, inspect the rigging, secure my harness to the rated anchor, have a colleague act as spotter, confirm the work window with the production manager, and log the lift start and finish times.
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Operate an audio mixing console
+Set the console to the saved show file, soundcheck each channel with the musician, trim gains to leave 6 dB…
Operate an audio mixing console
+Set the console to the saved show file, soundcheck each channel with the musician, trim gains to leave 6 dB headroom, set return sends and group routing, then run the front-of-house sweep with the band to confirm levels.
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Keep up with trends
+Scan industry blogs and three recent release notes, subscribe to the mastering engineer I trust, save two new…
Keep up with trends
+Scan industry blogs and three recent release notes, subscribe to the mastering engineer I trust, save two new techniques to my practice list, and schedule a one-hour session this Friday to try them on a live mix.
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Fit up sound on stage
+Walk the stage before load-in, remove trip hazards, set clear access routes, wear the required PPE, refuse…
Fit up sound on stage
+Walk the stage before load-in, remove trip hazards, set clear access routes, wear the required PPE, refuse any lift that feels unsafe, and report unsafe conditions to production so adjustments are made before soundcheck.
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Work with respect for own safety
+If I feel unsafe at any point, stop the job, tell the tour manager why, document the hazard and proposed fix,…
Work with respect for own safety
+If I feel unsafe at any point, stop the job, tell the tour manager why, document the hazard and proposed fix, and only resume work when the fix is agreed and I personally confirm the area is safe.
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Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
+Manage gain structure and tonal balance at the console for today's live session with the singer-songwriter…
Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
+Manage gain structure and tonal balance at the console for today's live session with the singer-songwriter and guitarist, ride the faders to prevent clipping, monitor headphones and room monitors, and flag any noise or phase issues before the take ends.
The tools that do the workApple macOSO*NET
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Tear down equipment after event completion.
+Strip the stage and pack microphones, stands, DI boxes, snakes and stage boxes with the techs after last set,…
Tear down equipment after event completion.
+Strip the stage and pack microphones, stands, DI boxes, snakes and stage boxes with the techs after last set, label fragile items, log missing gear on the handover sheet, and load cases into the truck by 30 minutes after curfew.
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.
+Program the instrument patches and MIDI mappings for the director's 60-second commercial: build the synth…
Create musical instrument digital interface programs for music projects, commercials, or film postproduction.
+Program the instrument patches and MIDI mappings for the director's 60-second commercial: build the synth layers, map velocity and mod wheels, save two recallable presets and export MIDI program change files for the scoring session tomorrow at noon.
The tools that do the workApple macOSO*NET
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Convert video and audio records to digital formats
+Digitise the camera tapes and multitrack stems from the session, check timecode sync, convert everything to…
Convert video and audio records to digital formats
+Digitise the camera tapes and multitrack stems from the session, check timecode sync, convert everything to 48k WAV and ProRes, create checksums, and store master files in the project archive folder with a readme describing sources and transfer settings.
The tools that do the workApple macOSjob descriptions
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Synchronize sounds and dialogue with action
+Align dialogue and sound effects to picture for the scene with the car chase: match lip hits, place room tone…
Synchronize sounds and dialogue with action
+Align dialogue and sound effects to picture for the scene with the car chase: match lip hits, place room tone under cuts, nudge SFX to picture frames, and print a locked mix pass for the director's review at 3pm.
The tools that do the workApple macOSjob descriptions
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Musical instruments
+Bring the Fender and the Martin into the live room, tune and mic them for tonight's session, set amp and DI…
Musical instruments
+Bring the Fender and the Martin into the live room, tune and mic them for tonight's session, set amp and DI levels, suggest pickup and mic positions to the artist, and confirm comfortable monitor mixes before we roll.
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Maintain sound equipment
+Inspect the front-of-house snake, stage boxes, microphones and power distro, replace worn XLRs and loose…
Maintain sound equipment
+Inspect the front-of-house snake, stage boxes, microphones and power distro, replace worn XLRs and loose connectors, test each channel on the console at headroom levels, log repairs and order two spare mic capsules by Friday.
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Technically design a sound system
+Produce a two-page technical layout for the club's PA showing speaker positions, coverage angles, amplifier…
Technically design a sound system
+Produce a two-page technical layout for the club's PA showing speaker positions, coverage angles, amplifier loads and cable runs, calculate SPL at the mix position and hand the print-ready layout to the production manager before the site visit.
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Manage personal professional development
+Create a six-month development plan listing three training courses, six listening targets, gear maintenance…
Manage personal professional development
+Create a six-month development plan listing three training courses, six listening targets, gear maintenance goals and two networking actions, schedule one review with the studio owner on the first Monday of each month.
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Work ergonomically
+Reconfigure the control room: measure desk and monitor heights, set monitor tweeter at ear height, position…
Work ergonomically
+Reconfigure the control room: measure desk and monitor heights, set monitor tweeter at ear height, position keyboard and mouse to reduce wrist extension, and record an ergonomic checklist for the crew to follow each session.
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Says who?
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Activities this job lives in
The human activities behind the tasks — each with its honest AI ceiling.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
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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