How to hire an audio recording engineer

How to hire an audio recording engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step audio recording engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an audio recording engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new audio recording engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The audio recording engineer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   No

   An audio recording engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, audio recording engineers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of audio recording engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Audio Recording Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Audio Recording Engineer	Broadcast and sound engineering technicians set up, operate, and maintain the electrical equipment for radio programs, television broadcasts, concerts, sound recordings, and movies.	$25-53
   Sound Designer	Sound designers are audio professionals who are responsible for procuring all sound effects to be used for specific show products that can be either recorded or live. These designers are required to meet with production directors to discuss the sound design for the show and to make the cue list... Show more	$20-57
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Promotional Videos
   • Pro Tools
   • Digital Audio
   • Equipment Maintenance
   • DAT
   • Live Events
   • Sound Design
   • Apple
   • Studio Equipment
   • Audio Recordings
   • Sound Effects
   • ADR
   • NYC

   Responsibilities:

   • Operate various digital and analog audio consoles during musical performances to create optimal experience for listener and musicians.
   • Retain several local and national commercial clients while primarily engineering and producing music CDs.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your audio recording engineer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An audio recording engineer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, audio recording engineers' average salary in vermont is 54% less than in pennsylvania.
   • Seniority. Entry-level audio recording engineers earn 53% less than senior-level audio recording engineers.
   • Certifications. An audio recording engineer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an audio recording engineer's salary.

   Average audio recording engineer salary

   $77,354yearly

   $37.19 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level audio recording engineer salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

4. Writing an audio recording engineer job description

   An audio recording engineer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an audio recording engineer job description:

   Audio recording engineer job description example

   
   Position Title: Audio Artist II
   
   External Description:
   
   Commentary Recording Engineer
   
   Role Overview
   
   Create Audio is looking for an enthusiastic and skilled Audio Artist who can make an immediate contribution to our team. You will work with the audio team for a specific project. You should have core experience in select phases of audio design and production, in every important component - sound design, music, voice production, and implementation. You will work within the Create Audio team and should have a basic understanding of game development. You should have a passion for video games, with an overwhelming drive to create a world class audio experience.
   
   Responsibilities
   
   - Create quality audio for video games
   
   - Record talent and process recordings
   
   - Directly supports portions of features or tasks
   
   - Ensure quality of assets meet project standards
   
   - Dialogue editing, mastering, naming and file organization
   
   Requirements
   
   - Deep experience in recording, editing and processing audio with DAWs
   
   - Multiple years working on recording, game audio, or audio post-production
   
   - Is comfortable with modern audio creation equipment, software and recording techniques, with a high level of proficiency in at least one DAW
   
   - Good understanding of dialogue/commentary audio standards in video games
   
   - Self-motivated individual with a solution-oriented work ethic
   
   - Team oriented with a strong desire to both learn and teach
   
   - Strong artistic and creative sensibilities
   
   City:
   
   State:
   
   Remote?: 1
   
   Community / Marketing Title: Audio Artist II - Commentary Recording Engineer (Contract)
   
   Company Profile:
   
   Electronic Arts is the leading interactive entertainment company, powered by innovative technology. We create incredible experiences for millions of players around the world. But what matters most is our people who inspire us, and the world, to play. As we bring new forms of entertainment to people around the world, we need creative, collaborative, diverse and adaptable people to keep making Electronic Arts better.
   
   EEOText: About EAWe exist to inspire the world to play. Through innovative technology and immersive storytelling, we deliver new ways of experiencing worlds of interactive entertainment for our millions of players worldwide. Our strength lies in the diversity of our people, combining creativity, innovation and passion. We fully champion inclusive culture, and provide opportunities for growing, learning, and leading that allows for the most impactful and rewarding work of our teams' careers. We put our people first, and we make sure they're taken care of both in and out of the office. As we reflect on our learnings and successes from remote work, we aim to provide dynamic, collaborative and flexible work environments for our teams. Our employees connect through our Employee Resource Groups, which are actively involved in driving business decisions every step of the way. But our support doesn't end at the workplace-we also encourage a balanced lifestyle with paid time off and new parent leave, free video games, fitness reimbursement and more. Our goal is to provide a safe, respectful and inspiring workplace for all of our employees. Through our diversity, equity, inclusion and social responsibility programs, we're doing the work to give everyone the space to be their full selves while giving back to our community. We're looking for problem-solvers, game-changers, innovators, dreamers, doers-people that are ready to move the needle and build on our success. As our industry accelerates, we aren't just keeping up-we're staying ahead of the game.Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Electronic Arts also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.
   
   Date Opened: 2022-09-20 20:06:12.323
   
   EEO Employer Verbiage:
   
   About EA
   
   We exist to inspire the world to play. Through innovative technology and immersive storytelling, we deliver new ways of experiencing worlds of interactive entertainment for our millions of players worldwide. Our strength lies in the diversity of our people, combining creativity, innovation and passion. We fully champion inclusive culture, and provide opportunities for growing, learning, and leading that allows for the most impactful and rewarding work of our teams' careers.
   
   We put our people first, and we make sure they're taken care of both in and out of the office. As we reflect on our learnings and successes from remote work, we aim to provide dynamic, collaborative and flexible work environments for our teams. Our employees connect through our Employee Resource Groups, which are actively involved in driving business decisions every step of the way. But our support doesn't end at the workplace-we also encourage a balanced lifestyle with paid time off and new parent leave, free video games, fitness reimbursement and more.
   
   Our goal is to provide a safe, respectful and inspiring workplace for all of our employees. Through our diversity, equity, inclusion and social responsibility programs, we're doing the work to give everyone the space to be their full selves while giving back to our community. We're looking for problem-solvers, game-changers, innovators, dreamers, doers-people that are ready to move the needle and build on our success. As our industry accelerates, we aren't just keeping up-we're staying ahead of the game.
   
   Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Electronic Arts also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right audio recording engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with audio recording engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit audio recording engineers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your audio recording engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit audio recording engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with audio recording engineer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new audio recording engineer

   Once you've found the audio recording engineer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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