Broadcast and Sound Engineering Technicians

Baton Rouge School of Production 

Call (225) 773-3350

Work Environment 

Broadcast and sound engineering technicians work with a variety of electronic and recording equipment.

Broadcast and sound engineering technicians held about 116,900 jobs in 2010. Their employment was distributed among the detailed occupations as follows:

Audio and video equipment technicians	61,200
Broadcast technicians	36,700
Sound engineering technicians	19,000

Broadcast and sound engineering technicians typically work indoors in radio, television, movie, or recording studios. However, some work outdoors in all types of conditions to broadcast news and other programs. Audio and video technicians also set up audiovisual systems in offices, schools, government agencies, hospitals, and homes. The following table shows the industries employing the most broadcast and sound engineering technicians in 2010:

Radio and television broadcasting	23%
Motion picture and video industries	10
Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries	10
Educational services; state, local, and private	9

Technicians doing maintenance may climb poles or antenna towers, and those setting up equipment do heavy lifting.

Work Schedules

Technicians typically work full time. Some may occasionally work overtime to meet broadcast deadlines or set up for live events. Evening, weekend, and holiday work is common because most stations are on the air 24 hours a day.
Technicians who work on motion pictures may be on a tight schedule and may work long hours to meet contract deadlines with movie studios.

Baton Rouge School of Production 

Call (225) 773-3350