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The differences between audio visual technicians and audio engineers 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 visual technician and an audio engineer. Additionally, an audio engineer has an average salary of $55,853, which is higher than the $43,529 average annual salary of an audio visual technician.
The top three skills for an audio visual technician include customer service, customer satisfaction and audio visual equipment. The most important skills for an audio engineer are video production, audio systems, and audio visual.
| Audio Visual Technician | Audio Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $43,529 | $55,853 |
| Hourly rate | $20.93 | $26.85 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 15,387 | 1,750 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An audiovisual technician is responsible for operating and monitoring audiovisual equipment and systems used for various events such as live public events and business conferences. Audiovisual technicians' duties include repairing technical issues, running diagnostic tests before actual use, identifying and resolving malfunctions immediately, assembling system components, installing and arranging equipment on their proper positions, instructing clients on how to operate the systems, and ensuring the safety of the equipment. An audiovisual technician must have a broad knowledge of the technology industry and system procedures to perform setups and installment accurately.
An audio engineer is a trained professional who specializes in working with the mechanics of recording, mixing, and reproducing sound. Audio engineers work with clients such as record producers, musicians, and artists to record the sound they are making and manipulate the equalizer, the compression, and the gates when mixing. They must possess excellent skills in operating recording equipment as well as maintain them. Audio engineers can also work in different audio fields that can include church audio, live performances, and internet radio.
Audio visual technicians and audio engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Audio Visual Technician | Audio Engineer | |
| Average salary | $43,529 | $55,853 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $66,000 | Between $30,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Oregon |
| Best paying company | School of Visual Concepts | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an audio visual technician and an audio engineer in terms of educational background:
| Audio Visual Technician | Audio Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Communication | Music |
| Most common college | Johns Hopkins University | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between audio visual technicians' and audio engineers' demographics:
| Audio Visual Technician | Audio Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% | Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 5.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |