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The differences between sound designers 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 sound designer and a sound editor. Additionally, a sound designer has an average salary of $71,949, which is higher than the $48,306 average annual salary of a sound editor.
The top three skills for a sound designer include audio assets, pro tools and wwise. The most important skills for a sound editor are ADR, video games, and SFX.
| Sound Designer | Sound Editor | |
| Yearly salary | $71,949 | $48,306 |
| Hourly rate | $34.59 | $23.22 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 50,235 | 4,603 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Sound designers and sound editors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sound Designer | Sound Editor | |
| Average salary | $71,949 | $48,306 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $120,000 | Between $20,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | Calabasas, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Thomson Reuters |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Media |
There are a few differences between a sound designer and a sound editor in terms of educational background:
| Sound Designer | Sound Editor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Music | Photography |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between sound designers' and sound editors' demographics:
| Sound Designer | Sound Editor | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.0% Female, 14.0% | Male, 80.9% Female, 19.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 5.1% White, 63.3% 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 Percentage | 8% | 8% |