Sound Engineering Technicians
Assemble and operate equipment to record, synchronize, mix, edit, or reproduce sound, including music, voices, or sound effects, for theater, video, film, television, podcasts, sporting events, and other productions.
Most important skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Reading Comprehension
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Judgment and Decision Making
Key knowledge
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Fine Arts
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Communications and Media
- Production and Processing
- Administration and Management
What the work involves
- Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.
- Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
- Prepare for recording sessions by performing such activities as selecting and setting up microphones.
- Report equipment problems and ensure that required repairs are made.
- Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards.
- Synchronize and equalize prerecorded dialogue, music, and sound effects with visual action of motion pictures or television productions, using control consoles.
- Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.
- Reproduce and duplicate sound recordings from original recording media, using sound editing and duplication equipment.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Artistic, Conventional.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (32% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (60%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (20%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Sound Engineering Technicians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 71% of occupations compared | 48% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time” |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 82% of occupations compared | 44% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | Low | Lower on teamwork than 71% of occupations compared | 41% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 60% of occupations compared | 48% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | High | Higher on time pressure than 76% of occupations compared | 44% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | Moderate | Lower on conflict situations than 50% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 51% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Low | Lower on consequence of error than 68% of occupations compared | 29% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: high
- Conflict situations: moderate
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 4%
- Contact with others about half the time: 16%
- Contact with others most of the time: 48%
- Constant contact with others: 32%
n = 25, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 44%
- Fairly important: 16%
- Important: 8%
- Very important: 12%
- Extremely important: 20%
n = 25, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 4.55%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 27.27%
- Very important: 27.27%
- Extremely important: 40.91%
n = 22, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 4%
- Limited freedom: 8%
- Some freedom: 48%
- A lot of freedom: 40%
n = 25, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 4%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 12%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 44%
- Every day: 40%
n = 25, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Conflict situations
- Never: 8.33%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 33.33%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 33.33%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 16.67%
- Every day: 8.33%
n = 24, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 17.39%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 39.13%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 13.04%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 13.04%
- Every day: 17.39%
n = 23, Occupational Expert 08/2025
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 25%
- Fairly serious: 29.17%
- Serious: 16.67%
- Very serious: 16.67%
- Extremely serious: 12.5%
n = 24, Occupational Expert 08/2025
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O*NET-SOC 27-4014.00 · SOC 27-4014 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8