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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

27-4014 Sound Engineering Technicians

Operate machines and equipment to record, synchronize, mix, or reproduce music, voices, or sound effects in sporting arenas, theater productions, recording studios, or movie and video productions.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
13,510 5.7 % $30.53 $63,500 2.1 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.35 $15.99 $25.19 $38.35 $56.54
Annual Wage (2) $25,680 $33,260 $52,390 $79,770 $117,600


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Motion Picture and Video Industries 3,760 0.92 $38.62 $80,320
Sound Recording Industries 3,030 17.37 $27.25 $56,680
Radio and Television Broadcasting 980 0.45 $30.65 $63,750
Performing Arts Companies 750 0.58 $27.54 $57,280
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 590 1.14 $23.22 $48,290

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Sound Recording Industries 3,030 17.37 $27.25 $56,680
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 590 1.14 $23.22 $48,290
Motion Picture and Video Industries 3,760 0.92 $38.62 $80,320
Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media 80 0.66 $23.37 $48,610
Performing Arts Companies 750 0.58 $27.54 $57,280

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Motion Picture and Video Industries 3,760 0.92 $38.62 $80,320
Specialized Design Services 50 0.03 $36.57 $76,070
Other Information Services 90 0.03 $36.39 $75,690
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 30 (7) $35.06 $72,920
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 120 0.01 $34.56 $71,880


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 4,410 0.26 2.78 (8) (8)
New York 1,770 0.19 2.02 $39.44 $82,030
Florida 900 0.10 1.12 $26.93 $56,010
Texas 650 0.05 0.57 $28.76 $59,810
Georgia 530 0.12 1.29 $30.11 $62,640




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 4,410 0.26 2.78 (8) (8)
Oregon 400 0.21 2.27 $20.76 $43,180
New York 1,770 0.19 2.02 $39.44 $82,030
Utah 240 0.17 1.78 $14.54 $30,240
Nevada 230 0.17 1.83 $27.41 $57,010




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 230 0.12 1.30 $42.60 $88,610
Connecticut 100 0.06 0.62 $42.03 $87,420
New York 1,770 0.19 2.02 $39.44 $82,030
District of Columbia 60 0.09 0.97 $38.18 $79,410
Washington 160 0.05 0.51 $37.03 $77,020





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,440 0.56 6.03 (8) (8)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,690 0.18 1.91 $38.22 $79,490
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 480 0.18 1.93 $29.70 $61,790
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 300 0.25 2.68 $22.02 $45,800
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 270 0.09 0.91 $26.84 $55,830
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 260 0.27 2.92 $27.20 $56,570
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 220 0.23 2.42 $27.78 $57,790
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 220 0.06 0.67 $31.50 $65,530
Salt Lake City, UT 210 0.30 3.19 $14.03 $29,170
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 200 0.04 0.45 $29.72 $61,830




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Medford, OR 90 0.99 10.62 $19.10 $39,730
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,440 0.56 6.03 (8) (8)
Salt Lake City, UT 210 0.30 3.19 $14.03 $29,170
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 260 0.27 2.92 $27.20 $56,570
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 300 0.25 2.68 $22.02 $45,800
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 220 0.23 2.42 $27.78 $57,790
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 110 0.20 2.09 (8) (8)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,690 0.18 1.91 $38.22 $79,490
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 480 0.18 1.93 $29.70 $61,790
Austin-Round Rock, TX 170 0.17 1.79 $26.49 $55,090




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,690 0.18 1.91 $38.22 $79,490
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 60 0.03 0.33 $33.52 $69,730
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 100 0.03 0.37 $31.86 $66,280
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 220 0.06 0.67 $31.50 $65,530
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 30 0.10 1.11 $30.77 $63,990
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 50 0.10 1.03 $30.66 $63,780
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 150 0.10 1.12 $30.29 $62,990
Kingston, NY (8) (8) (8) $30.07 $62,550
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 200 0.04 0.45 $29.72 $61,830
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 480 0.18 1.93 $29.70 $61,790


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019