Broadcasting Job Statistics
Broadcast and Sound Engineering Technicians Job Statistics
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What Broadcast and Sound Engineering Technicians Do
Broadcast and sound engineering technicians set up, operate, and maintain the electrical equipment for radio and television broadcasts, concerts, sound recordings, and movies and in office and school buildings.
Broadcast and sound engineering technicians generally work indoors in office buildings and radio, television, or recording studios. However, those who broadcast news and other programs outside the studio may work outdoors in all types of weather. Technicians typically work full time.
How to Become a Sound Engineering Technician
Most broadcast and sound engineering technicians have an associate’s degree or vocational certification, although some are hired with only a high school diploma. Some formal training, gained through either work experience or education, is often required.
The median annual wage of broadcast and sound engineering technicians was $39,870 in May 2010.
Employment of broadcast and sound engineering technicians is expected to grow 10 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Growth is expected as businesses, schools, and radio and television stations demand new equipment to improve their audio and video capabilities.
Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of broadcast and sound engineering technicians with similar occupations.
O*NET provides comprehensive information on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
Learn more about broadcast and sound engineering technicians by contacting these additional resources.
Duties
Broadcast and sound engineering technicians typically do the following:
- Operate, monitor, and adjust audio and video equipment to regulate the volume and ensure quality in radio and television broadcasts, concerts, and other performances
- Set up and tear down equipment for events and live performances
- Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording equipment
- Synchronize sounds and dialogue with action taking place on television or in movie productions
- Convert video and audio records to digital formats for editing
- Install audio, video, and sometimes lighting equipment in hotels, offices, and schools
- Report and repair equipment problems
- Keep records of recordings and equipment used
These workers may be called broadcast or sound engineering technicians or operators or engineers. At smaller radio and television stations, broadcast and sound technicians may do many jobs. At larger stations, they are likely to specialize more, although even their job assignments may change from day to day. They set up and operate audio and video equipment, although the kind of equipment they use may depend on the particular type of technician or industry.
Although some of the duties of broadcast and sound engineering
technicians are similar, there are some differences.
Audio and video
equipment technicians set up and operate audio and video equipment. They
also connect wires and cables and set up and operate sound and mixing boards
and related electronic equipment.
Audio and video equipment technicians work with microphones, speakers, video screens, projectors, video monitors, and recording equipment. The equipment they operate is used for meetings, concerts, sports events, conventions, news conferences, as well as lectures, conferences, and presentations in businesses and universities.
Audio and video equipment technicians may also set up and operate custom
lighting systems. They frequently work directly with clients and must listen
to, understand, and provide solutions to problems in a simple and clear
manner. In addition, many audio and video equipment technicians are
self-employed and must spend time marketing their practice to prospective
clients.
Broadcast technicians set up, operate, and maintain equipment
that regulates the signal strength, the clarity, and the ranges of sounds
and colors of radio or television broadcasts. They operate transmitters to
broadcast radio or television programs and use computers to program the
equipment and to edit audio and video recordings.
Sound engineering technicians operate machines and equipment that record, synchronize, mix, or reproduce music, voices, or sound effects in recording studios, sporting arenas, theater productions, or movie and video productions. They record audio performances or events and may combine tracks that were recorded separately to create a multilayered final product. Sound engineering technicians operate transmitters to broadcast radio or television programs and use computers both to program the equipment and to edit audio recordings.
(Information on foley artists, a type of sound engineering technician, can be accessed from the Occupational Outlook Quarterly.)
The following are examples of types of broadcast technicians and sound engineering technicians:
Recording engineers operate and maintain video and sound recording equipment. They may operate equipment designed to produce special effects for radio, television, or movies.
Sound mixers, or rerecording mixers, produce soundtracks for movies or television programs. After filming or recording is complete, these workers may use a process called dubbing to insert sounds.
Field technicians set up and operate portable equipment outside the studio—for example, for television news coverage. This coverage requires so much electronic equipment, and the technology is changing so rapidly, that many stations assign some of their technicians exclusively to news.
Chief engineers, transmission engineers, and broadcast field supervisors oversee other technicians and maintain broadcasting equipment.
SUGGESTED CITATION:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of
Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Broadcast and Sound
Engineering Technicians, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/broadcast-and-sound-engineering-technicians.htm (visited August
22, 2012).
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