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Mixing engineer vs sound editor

The differences between mixing 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 a mixing engineer and a sound editor. Additionally, a mixing engineer has an average salary of $81,185, which is higher than the $48,306 average annual salary of a sound editor.

The top three skills for a mixing engineer include audio equipment, R and sound design. The most important skills for a sound editor are ADR, video games, and SFX.

Mixing engineer vs sound editor overview

Mixing EngineerSound Editor
Yearly salary$81,185$48,306
Hourly rate$39.03$23.22
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs5164,603
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Mixing engineer vs sound editor salary

Mixing engineers and sound editors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Mixing EngineerSound Editor
Average salary$81,185$48,306
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $134,000Between $20,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City-Calabasas, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Thomson Reuters
Best paying industry-Media

Differences between mixing engineer and sound editor education

There are a few differences between a mixing engineer and a sound editor in terms of educational background:

Mixing EngineerSound Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorMusicPhotography
Most common collegeJohns Hopkins UniversityNew York University

Mixing engineer vs sound editor demographics

Here are the differences between mixing engineers' and sound editors' demographics:

Mixing EngineerSound Editor
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 94.4% Female, 5.6%Male, 80.9% Female, 19.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.3% 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 Percentage8%8%

Differences between mixing engineer and sound editor duties and responsibilities

Mixing engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage PowerPoint and mixing music at the same time.
  • Retain several local and national commercial clients while primarily engineering and producing music CDs.
  • Operate production board for high school basketball and baseball games without managerial supervision.

Sound editor example responsibilities.

  • Manage international man-made fiber market research/publishing company and supervise editorial content and sales of industry statistical journal.
  • Add in sound effects, music, and ADR as needed.
  • Gain experience in assisting with analog soundboard and stage lighting.
  • Mix vocals and music from a DJ for a fashion presentation, (volunteer only )
  • Review submitted manuscripts, brainstorm & implement promotional strategies, track community involvement, and plan literary events with the editor-in-chief.
  • Deliver exported versions for Facebook and Instagram.

Mixing engineer vs sound editor skills

Common mixing engineer skills
  • Audio Equipment, 23%
  • R, 15%
  • Sound Design, 7%
  • Music Videos, 4%
  • SSL, 4%
  • Studio Equipment, 4%
Common sound editor skills
  • ADR, 15%
  • Video Games, 15%
  • SFX, 14%
  • Pro Tools, 10%
  • Feature Film, 7%
  • Adobe Premiere, 6%

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