Sound Technician Careers Require Training and Experience

by Joe Taylor Jr.
joe.taylor@careertrainingdirectory.com
Career Training Directory Columnist

The harder audio and video technicians work the less you notice them. That’s because these skilled engineers use their experience to immerse you in your daily news and entertainment.

A sound technician career differs from that of an audio or video tech in significant ways. While audio and video technicians record, mix, and edit films and television shows, sound technicians tend to focus their careers on studio productions and live event sound. With a boost from an accredited sound engineer school you could learn to mix tracks for a band or run the public address system at a major arena.

Sound Technicians Enjoy Higher Salaries than Video Technicians

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (2004) reports that audio and video technicians earn annually about $34,000, while sound technicians often make approximately $40,000 per year. While heavy competition for audio and video technician jobs artificially deflates those salaries, sound technicians with specialized skills can find steady full-time work and frequent side jobs.

Sound engineer schools offer you the opportunity to study specific areas of the field, including:

• audio/video synchronization
• mixdown techniques
• studio accounting
• business management

Although you can enroll in most sound engineer schools with only a high school diploma, an understanding of physics and technology helps you pursue more advanced topics. During your experience at sound engineer school, you will learn how to apply scientific principles to the challenges of capturing and amplifying sound.

Sound Technicians Gain Experience in the Real World

Most sound engineer schools offer part time programs, so you can build your skills without sacrificing the income from your current job. With inexpensive sound engineering software available for most computers you can participate in online sound engineer schools that let you complete assignments in your home or at participating local recording studios. This hands-on experience will really help you launch a career as a sound technician.

Sources:

Bureau of Labor and Statistics
Mix Magazine

Author Bio

Author and business coach Joe Taylor Jr. helps professionals change careers. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Ithaca College.