Audio Engineer Salary
Updated April 6, 2023
Audio Engineer Salary Estimate
$55,853
$26.85 hourly
Entry level Salary
$30,000 yearlyHow much does an Audio Engineer make?
The average salary for an audio engineer in the United States is $55,853. Audio engineer salaries typically range between $30,000 and $102,000 a year. The average hourly rate for audio engineers is $26.85 per hour.
Location, education, and experience impacts how much an audio engineer can expect to make. Audio engineers make the most in Oregon, Alaska, California, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
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The average salary for an audio engineer is $55,853 in the US. -
The average audio engineer salary ranges between $30,000 and $102,000 in the US. -
Hourly rates for audio engineers in the US typically range between $14 and $49 an hour. -
The average audio engineer salary is $89,865 in Oregon, $85,829 in Alaska, and $76,099 in California. These are the three highest-paying states for audio engineers in the US. -
Meta has the highest average salary for audio engineers.
Highest Paying States For Audio Engineers
- State View
- County View
Average Salary:
Audio Engineer average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $89,865 | $43.20 | 160 |
| 2 | Washington | $74,807 | $35.96 | 330 |
| 3 | California | $76,099 | $36.59 | 1,387 |
| 4 | Virginia | $71,117 | $34.19 | 535 |
| 5 | Alaska | $85,829 | $41.26 | 16 |
| 6 | Arizona | $62,883 | $30.23 | 175 |
| 7 | Michigan | $61,147 | $29.40 | 169 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $75,860 | $36.47 | 156 |
| 9 | Idaho | $61,996 | $29.81 | 29 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $68,826 | $33.09 | 138 |
| 11 | Utah | $57,069 | $27.44 | 86 |
| 12 | Ohio | $61,143 | $29.40 | 149 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $59,451 | $28.58 | 197 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $61,439 | $29.54 | 18 |
| 15 | Alabama | $54,115 | $26.02 | 108 |
| 16 | New York | $57,533 | $27.66 | 356 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $56,236 | $27.04 | 119 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $51,235 | $24.63 | 16 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $55,674 | $26.77 | 44 |
| 20 | Florida | $52,607 | $25.29 | 398 |
| 21 | Indiana | $51,631 | $24.82 | 131 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $52,986 | $25.47 | 79 |
| 23 | Georgia | $52,571 | $25.27 | 215 |
| 24 | Illinois | $52,394 | $25.19 | 266 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $52,302 | $25.15 | 41 |
| 26 | Texas | $50,181 | $24.13 | 514 |
| 27 | Montana | $53,473 | $25.71 | 13 |
| 28 | Maine | $54,030 | $25.98 | 13 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $51,184 | $24.61 | 66 |
| 30 | Colorado | $48,021 | $23.09 | 240 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $51,254 | $24.64 | 35 |
| 32 | Delaware | $40,119 | $19.29 | 62 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $44,514 | $21.40 | 49 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $49,896 | $23.99 | 18 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $47,620 | $22.89 | 30 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $48,300 | $23.22 | 10 |
| 37 | Iowa | $47,474 | $22.82 | 46 |
| 38 | Maryland | $39,276 | $18.88 | 316 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $38,865 | $18.69 | 175 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $46,693 | $22.45 | 61 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $47,585 | $22.88 | 7 |
| 42 | Massachusetts | $38,209 | $18.37 | 265 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $41,036 | $19.73 | 46 |
| 44 | Nevada | $41,270 | $19.84 | 36 |
| 45 | Missouri | $45,584 | $21.92 | 60 |
| 46 | Connecticut | $40,225 | $19.34 | 62 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $37,269 | $17.92 | 17 |
| 48 | Kansas | $44,500 | $21.39 | 27 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | $36,124 | $17.37 | 35 |
| 50 | Vermont | $32,353 | $15.55 | 18 |
| 51 | Rhode Island | $39,638 | $19.06 | 17 |
Highest Paying Cities For Audio Engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novato, CA | $92,335 | $44.39 | |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $76,871 | $36.96 | |
| 3 | Pittsburgh, PA | $70,776 | $34.03 | |
| 4 | Belleville, NJ | $68,674 | $33.02 | |
| 5 | Cleveland, OH | $64,497 | $31.01 | |
| 6 | Durham, NC | $62,062 | $29.84 | |
| 7 | Westland, MI | $61,272 | $29.46 | |
| 8 | New York, NY | $58,065 | $27.92 | 7 |
| 9 | Minneapolis, MN | $56,295 | $27.06 | 9 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $52,994 | $25.48 | 5 |
| 11 | Miami, FL | $52,980 | $25.47 | |
| 12 | Savannah, GA | $52,713 | $25.34 | |
| 13 | Austin, TX | $50,856 | $24.45 | 2 |
| 14 | Colorado Springs, CO | $48,173 | $23.16 | 2 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $39,379 | $18.93 | 2 |
Audio Engineers Salary Details
What is an Audio Engineer's Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $102,000 | $8,500 | $49 |
| 75th Percentile | $77,000 | $6,417 | $37 |
| Average | $55,853 | $4,654 | $27 |
| 25th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
Highest Paying Types of Audio Engineers
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actor | $53,377 | $4,448 | $25.66 | 218 |
| Audio Visual Technician | $43,529 | $3,627 | $20.93 | 15,387 |
| Sound Designer | $71,949 | $5,996 | $34.59 | 50,235 |
| Audio Technician | $51,473 | $4,289 | $24.75 | 30,951 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Sound Engineer | $52,197 | $4,350 | $25.09 | 6,923 |
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay Audio Engineers The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $168,433 | $80.98 | |
| 2 | Apple | $145,585 | $69.99 | 4 |
| 3 | Microsoft | $141,739 | $68.14 | |
| 4 | Advanced Systems Group | $136,497 | $65.62 | 2 |
| 5 | Micron Technology | $125,551 | $60.36 | |
| 6 | CSR Technology Holdings Inc. | $123,149 | $59.21 | |
| 7 | American Water | $118,741 | $57.09 | |
| 8 | Kenneth Copeland Ministries | $112,731 | $54.20 | |
| 9 | 2k | $108,776 | $52.30 | |
| 10 | Zoom Video Communications | $107,710 | $51.78 | |
| 11 | Exeter Government | $107,677 | $51.77 | |
| 12 | Ford Motor | $104,737 | $50.35 | |
| 13 | Capgemini | $101,009 | $48.56 | |
| 14 | Global Atlantic Financial Group Limited | $100,453 | $48.29 | |
| 15 | Activision Blizzard | $96,777 | $46.53 | |
| 16 | Motorola Solutions | $95,653 | $45.99 | |
| 17 | SAIC | $94,953 | $45.65 | 1 |
| 18 | Matrix Service Company | $92,716 | $44.58 | |
| 19 | Amazon | $91,883 | $44.17 | |
| 20 | NBCUniversal | $91,577 | $44.03 | 6 |
Audio Engineer Pay Trends
Average Audio Engineer Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Audio Engineer Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $55,900 | $26.85 | -2.3% |
| 2022 | $57,100 | $27.46 | +4.3% |
| 2021 | $54,700 | $26.29 | -6.5% |
| 2020 | $58,200 | $28.00 | +3.8% |
| 2019 | $56,000 | $26.93 | +0.7% |
Recently Added Audio Engineer Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leidos | Broadcast Audio Visual Engineer | Arlington, VA | 05/01/2023 | $84,500 |
| Advanced Systems Group | Audio Engineer (On-Site, Project-Based) | Los Angeles, CA | 04/29/2023 | $104,350 |
| Activision Blizzard | Audio Engineer | Ione, CA | 04/27/2023 | $92,920 |
| Sonos | Audio Platform Engineer | Boston, MA | 04/27/2023 | $142,000 |
| Davis Conference Center | Audio Engineer | Layton, UT | 04/25/2023 | $31,305 |
| Inspire Event Technologies LLC | Audio Engineer (A1) | Colorado Springs, CO | 04/25/2023 | $55,000 |
| Cirque Du Soleil | Audio Engineer-Blue Man Group | New York, NY | 04/22/2023 | $54,262 |
| National Public Radio | Audio Engineer | Washington, DC | 04/20/2023 | $85,073 |
| Inspire | Audio Engineer (A1) | Colorado Springs, CO | 04/19/2023 | $55,000 |
| Applied Minds | Audio-Visual Engineer | Burbank, CA | 04/18/2023 | $110,000 |
Audio Engineer Salaries FAQs
What State Pays Audio Engineers The Most?
Oregon pays Audio Engineers the most in the United States, with an average salary of $89,865 per year, or $43.20 per hour.
How Do I Know If I'm Being Paid Fairly As An Audio Engineer?
You know if you are being paid fairly as an Audio Engineer if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Alaska you should be paid close to $85,829 per year.
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
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