The starting salary for an audio engineer is a baseline that may vary depending on the industry. In some cases, it will be lower than expected and in other cases, higher. The median salary for an entry-level audio engineer is around $37,000 with the top earners making well over $100,000 annually. Most of these professionals have 2-4 years of experience working in this capacity.
Audio engineers are the creative minds behind a recording or live show, responsible for capturing and manipulating sound. Audio engineers work in a variety of recording studios, film production companies and on tours with musicians (alongside roadies).
How much does an audio engineer make? That’s a tough question because it depends on a variety of factors like experience, skill set, company size and location. The median salary for audio engineers is about $62,000, but the best (and worst)-paid audio engineers can make up to $100 an hour. If you’re looking for an engineer job in the US, the best paying cities are San Francisco, NY and Boston where audio engineer salaries can exceed $100k per year.
Starting Salary For Audio Engineer Overview
You’ve probably heard the saying, “How much does an audio engineer make an hour?”
First, you need to know what kind of audio engineer you’re talking about. Are they a live sound engineer? Video game audio engineer? Studio engineer? And then you have to ask whether they’re working freelance or in-house. And then they have to tell you their specific skillset and how many years of experience they have. That’s just for starters!
But seriously, the answer is different for everyone—and it changes over time and by industry. The good news is that there are plenty of resources out there that can help you get a sense of what the average starting salary for an audio engineer might be in your city, as well as what kinds of salaries you can expect with more years under your belt.
Education Requirements to Become an Audio Engineer
To become an audio engineer, you need to know a lot about music and sound.
No matter how young you are, it’s never too early to start learning.
Start listening to as much music as you can, in as many different styles as possible.
Pay attention to the soundtracks of films and television shows, as well as the credits given to the sound department at the end.
If you’re in high school or college, volunteer with your drama or film club to help them out with the sound.
You’ll also need to know a lot about sound equipment.
This can include mixing boards, microphones, speakers, interfaces, and a whole different range of instruments.
Being able to read music is an excellent skill, so if you haven’t already, it’s time to learn an instrument.
There is no formal educational requirement to be an audio engineer, but most who have employment in this area completed some kind of qualification after high school.
Most colleges and community colleges will offer a degree in audio engineering, or sound engineering.
This is probably the best way of gaining entry to the field.
Try and get some intern work while you are studying, or better yet, a part time job at a recording studio, radio station, or similar place of work.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t spend any time working with sound while there, you will still be gaining experience and making contacts.
Once you have finished your education, start looking for a job.
Don’t be discouraged if you can’t get a role as an audio engineer right away, these roles are competitive, and difficult to get without experience.
Instead, look for an entry level role in a company or studio that employs audio engineers.
Work hard, and keep improving your skills.
Eventually you’ll will be promoted into the role you want.
Audio Engineer Job Description
- Mixing and mastering music
- Composing music
- Analyzing music and sounds
- Editing Music
- Ensuring high sound quality
- Recording music
An audio engineer may work in many different fields.
They could be supervising a live recording to ensure that the sound is of the highest quality and balance, or working with prerecorded material to edit it and produce the best final result.
While many audio engineers work in the music business, they may also work with movie studios, working on sound for film or TV, as well as with ad agencies, creating jingles and mixing sound.
Audio Engineer Salary and Career Path
After you have five years of work experience as an audio engineer, you can apply to the Society of Broadcast Engineers for a certification as a broadcast engineer.
This is a great credit to add to your resume.
After time working as an audio engineer, you will be promoted to more senior roles, or may wish to embark out on your own as a freelancer.
The best in the business work in Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York, so if you want to be at the top of your game you may need to relocate.
When you get your first job as an audio engineer, your salary will likely be around $20,000 a year.
The median salary is around $38,000 according to BLS.gov, so with a few years experience behind you, you can expect to earn closer to this amount.
Those at the top of their career may earn as much as $90,000+ a year.
Live Sound Engineer Salary and Industry
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average audio engineer salary was around $47,420 a year or $22.80 an hour in 2020. It is a fast-growing industry and had approximately 140,300 jobs staffed in 2019, and it is expected to grow 9 percent between 2019 and 2029, which is much faster than the national average.
Life as a live audio engineer varies depending on whether they are in-house or touring. Many concert venues employ in-house audio engineers to run the sound system. When in-house, engineers specialize in venue acoustics to optimize each entertainer’s unique sound. In-house engineers become experts in the venue acoustics and sound system.
Conversely, touring engineers are hired by the touring band and must know how to adapt the band’s sound to individual venue acoustics. In this case, engineers become experts with the band’s unique sound.
