Arts, Design & Media

Audio Engineers

SOC 27-4011

Record, mix, and master audio for music, film, TV, and podcasts.

The job

Median pay

$58k

$46k to $78k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Growing

+3.9% projected

Openings a year

BLS projection

Typical education

Associate's

Our model

AI displacement risk

High

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

7/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

65th pct

More exposed than 65% of occupations · modeled estimate · 61st pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

43/100

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Weigh it against Broadcast TechniciansPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostWashington DC leads at $79k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Audio Engineers and explore its neighbours See open jobsAudio Engineers roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Audio Engineers, who lean most on monitoring Real pay & reviewsWhat Audio Engineers say they actually earn

Key skills

Monitoring
Reading Comprehension
Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Writing
Speaking

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
California	9,280	0.5	1.1×	$65k
New York	7,990	0.8	1.8×	$68k
Florida	6,000	0.6	1.3×	$54k
Texas	4,280	0.3	0.7×	$49k
Pennsylvania	3,080	0.5	1.1×	$57k
Illinois	3,020	0.5	1.1×	$61k
New Jersey	2,280	0.5	1.2×	$71k
Virginia	1,900	0.5	1.0×	$54k
Utah	1,880	1.1	2.4×	$49k
North Carolina	1,870	0.4	0.8×	$47k

All 51 states

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Maryland	1,770	0.6	1.4×	$70k
Michigan	1,700	0.4	0.8×	$58k
Massachusetts	1,686	0.5	1.0×	$71k~
Tennessee	1,640	0.5	1.1×	$50k
Georgia	1,630	0.3	0.7×	$51k
Nevada	1,580	1.0	2.3×	$63k
Ohio	1,430	0.3	0.6×	$50k
Indiana	1,390	0.4	1.0×	$50k
Missouri	1,370	0.5	1.0×	$51k
Washington	1,360	0.4	0.8×	$69k
Arizona	1,340	0.4	0.9×	$47k
Minnesota	960	0.3	0.7×	$54k
Louisiana	860	0.4	1.0×	$44k
Colorado	830	0.3	0.6×	$57k
Washington DC	830	1.2	2.6×	$79k
Connecticut	820	0.5	1.1×	$62k
Wisconsin	760	0.3	0.6×	$51k
Oregon	630	0.3	0.7×	$52k
Kentucky	600	0.3	0.7×	$48k
Oklahoma	540	0.3	0.7×	$49k
South Carolina	440	0.2	0.4×	$52k
Hawaii	430	0.7	1.5×	$60k
New Mexico	420	0.5	1.1×	$47k
Alabama	320	0.2	0.3×	$50k
Iowa	290	0.2	0.4×	$51k
Nebraska	290	0.3	0.6×	$51k
Kansas	220	0.2	0.3×	$50k
Idaho	210	0.2	0.5×	$50k
Mississippi	200	0.2	0.4×	$44k
West Virginia	200	0.3	0.6×	$47k
New Hampshire	170	0.2	0.6×	$56k
Vermont	170	0.6	1.2×	$52k
South Dakota	167	0.4	0.8×	$43k~
Arkansas	150	0.1	0.3×	$44k
Maine	150	0.2	0.5×	$46k
Rhode Island	150	0.3	0.7×	$64k
Montana	140	0.3	0.6×	$47k
Delaware	130	0.3	0.6×	$60k
North Dakota	100	0.2	0.5×	$50k
Alaska	70	0.2	0.5×	$62k
Wyoming	50	0.2	0.4×	$50k

Top metro areas

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ7,800 jobs · $72k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA4,710 jobs · $65k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN2,490 jobs · $64k median
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV2,210 jobs · $74k median
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL1,820 jobs · $54k median
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL1,800 jobs · $57k median
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT1,570 jobs · $49k median
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA1,370 jobs · $76k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.