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The differences between audio engineers and sound editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an audio engineer and a sound editor. Additionally, an audio engineer has an average salary of $55,853, which is higher than the $48,306 average annual salary of a sound editor.
The top three skills for an audio engineer include video production, audio systems and audio visual. The most important skills for a sound editor are ADR, video games, and SFX.
| Audio Engineer | Sound Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $55,853 | $48,306 |
| Hourly rate | $26.85 | $23.22 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 1,750 | 4,603 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Audio engineers and sound editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Audio Engineer | Sound Editor | |
| Average salary | $55,853 | $48,306 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $102,000 | Between $20,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | Calabasas, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Thomson Reuters |
| Best paying industry | - | Media |
There are a few differences between an audio engineer and a sound editor in terms of educational background:
| Audio Engineer | Sound Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Music | Photography |
| Most common college | Johns Hopkins University | New York University |
Here are the differences between audio engineers' and sound editors' demographics:
| Audio Engineer | Sound Editor | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7% | Male, 80.9% Female, 19.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 5.2% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |