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The average salary for an Audio/Video Engineer is approximately $85,179 per year or $41 per hour. This figure varies based on several factors, including years of experience, education level, and the specific industry in which one is employed. Entry-level positions typically earn less, while seasoned professionals can significantly increase their income.
Geographic location plays a crucial role in salary variation. States like California and New York often offer higher wages due to the cost of living and demand for skilled engineers. In addition, cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles lead in pay rates for audio/video engineers. Industries such as film, television, and live events tend to provide the highest salaries.
With the rise of digital media, job prospects for audio/video engineers are robust. Various sectors, including corporate, educational, and entertainment, are constantly seeking skilled professionals. By enhancing your skills and staying updated on technology trends, you can position yourself for better job opportunities and salary increases.
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The highest-paying states for audio/video engineers are Virginia, Oregon, and New York. The lowest average audio/video engineer salary states are Georgia, Arkansas, and Kansas.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $119,205 | $57.31 |
| 2 | Oregon | $109,799 | $52.79 |
| 3 | New York | $107,819 | $51.84 |
| 4 | Colorado | $95,757 | $46.04 |
| 5 | Texas | $95,479 | $45.90 |
| 6 | Utah | $94,309 | $45.34 |
| 7 | Washington | $93,359 | $44.88 |
| 8 | Nevada | $103,045 | $49.54 |
| 9 | California | $96,603 | $46.44 |
| 10 | Ohio | $96,802 | $46.54 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $96,745 | $46.51 |
| 12 | Delaware | $85,651 | $41.18 |
| 13 | Montana | $93,616 | $45.01 |
| 14 | Maine | $92,266 | $44.36 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $88,298 | $42.45 |
| 16 | Florida | $82,953 | $39.88 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $86,973 | $41.81 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $86,054 | $41.37 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $86,661 | $41.66 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $84,227 | $40.49 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $85,236 | $40.98 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $77,173 | $37.10 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $81,134 | $39.01 |
| 24 | Arizona | $78,334 | $37.66 |
| 25 | Michigan | $76,801 | $36.92 |
| 26 | Alaska | $78,554 | $37.77 |
| 27 | Idaho | $79,138 | $38.05 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $80,026 | $38.47 |
| 29 | Vermont | $76,347 | $36.71 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $78,620 | $37.80 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $81,074 | $38.98 |
| 32 | Maryland | $76,464 | $36.76 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $81,089 | $38.99 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $78,730 | $37.85 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $76,743 | $36.90 |
| 36 | Massachusetts | $75,978 | $36.53 |
| 37 | Illinois | $76,543 | $36.80 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $78,101 | $37.55 |
| 39 | New Jersey | $79,401 | $38.17 |
| 40 | Alabama | $65,108 | $31.30 |
| 41 | Indiana | $66,985 | $32.20 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $65,733 | $31.60 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $69,330 | $33.33 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $64,511 | $31.01 |
| 45 | Georgia | $64,721 | $31.12 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $65,978 | $31.72 |
| 47 | Iowa | $66,062 | $31.76 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $60,949 | $29.30 |
| 49 | Kansas | $63,763 | $30.66 |
| 50 | Missouri | $61,252 | $29.45 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $60,399 | $29.04 |
The highest-paying cities for audio/video engineers are Virginia Beach, VA, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach, VA | $119,258 | $57.34 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $108,155 | $52.00 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $107,675 | $51.77 |
| 4 | Dallas, TX | $94,941 | $45.64 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh, PA | $84,409 | $40.58 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $84,298 | $40.53 |
| 7 | Jacksonville, FL | $84,035 | $40.40 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $78,891 | $37.93 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $77,135 | $37.08 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $76,719 | $36.88 |
| 11 | Natick, MA | $76,211 | $36.64 |
An audio/video engineer's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $134,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $134,000 | $11,167 | $64 |
| 75th Percentile | $108,000 | $9,000 | $52 |
| Average | $85,179 | $7,098 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| 10th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
The highest paying types of audio/video engineers are master control engineer, station engineer, and engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master Control Operator | $52,528 | $4,377 | $25.25 | 70,063 |
| Remote Broadcast Technician | $29,076 | $2,423 | $13.98 | 31,162 |
| Board Operator | $42,557 | $3,546 | $20.46 | 31,348 |
| AV Technician | $44,144 | $3,679 | $21.22 | 30,907 |
| Sound Designer | $71,949 | $5,996 | $34.59 | 50,235 |
| Audio Visual Technician | $43,529 | $3,627 | $20.93 | 15,387 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for audio/video engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring audio/video engineers now:
Audio/video engineer salaries at Two Sigma and Deutsche Bank are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average audio/video engineer salary at companies like Rosendin Electric and MathWorks are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Two Sigma | $114,823 | $55.20 |
| 2 | Deutsche Bank | $108,895 | $52.35 |
| 3 | Rosendin Electric | $101,211 | $48.66 |
| 4 | MathWorks | $98,278 | $47.25 |
| 5 | Multimedia | $88,240 | $42.42 |
| 6 | TechDigital | $86,931 | $41.79 |
| 7 | The Custom Group of Companies | $85,565 | $41.14 |
| 8 | TriTech Software Systems | $84,137 | $40.45 |
| 9 | Spectrum | $83,584 | $40.18 |
| 10 | Prospero Productions | $83,139 | $39.97 |
| 11 | avworkshop | $83,110 | $39.96 |
| 12 | Bridges SI | $80,859 | $38.87 |
| 13 | Carnegie Mellon University | $71,512 | $34.38 |
| 14 | Cutter | $60,629 | $29.15 |
The average audio/video engineer salary has risen by $13,685 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average audio/video engineer earned $71,494 annually, but today, they earn $85,179 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for audio/video engineers over the last decade.
Compare audio/video engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare audio/video engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $85,200 | $40.95 | +6.9% |
| 2024 | $79,300 | $38.13 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $78,400 | $37.67 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $76,400 | $36.71 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $75,400 | $36.23 | +2.7% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosendin Electric | IT Senior Audio Video Engineer | San Jose, CA | 06/29/2025 | $124,800 |
| Prime Electric | Audio Video Commissioning Engineer | San Jose, CA | 06/11/2025 | $65,000 |
| Rosendin Electric | IT Senior Audio Video Engineer | San Jose, CA | 05/27/2025 | $124,800 |
| Prime Electric | Audio Video Commissioning Engineer | San Jose, CA | 04/28/2025 | $65,000 |
| M&T Bank | Technical Engineer-Audio Video Event Response | Buffalo, NY | 04/05/2025 | $93,581 |
| Insulet | SR Audio Video Engineer (Hybrid) | Acton, MA | 03/30/2025 | $93,825 |
| Akkodis | Cisco Engineer-Audio/Video Conferencing | Jersey City, NJ | 03/26/2025 | $146,090 |
| Techrepublic, Inc. | KIT: Video Game Audio Engineer | Ione, OR | 02/18/2025 | $299 |
| Qualitestgroup | Senior Audio/Video Test Engineer (Video Conferencing) | Palo Alto, CA | 02/17/2025 | $100,000 |
| Qualitest Group | Senior Audio/Video Test Engineer (Video Conferencing) | San Jose, CA | 12/16/2024 | $105,000 |
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