How To Become A Sound Editor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a sound editor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Allison Harl Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a sound editor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $23.22 an hour? That's $48,306 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 12,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a sound editor?

Allison Harl Ph.D.

Associate Professor of English English Program Coordinator, Ferrum College

Develop as many multimedia skills as possible. Writing in the 21st century is about visual rhetoric as well as just words on a page.

ScoreSound EditorUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,306

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.9

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.39%

Asian 5.18%

Black or African American 6.76%

Hispanic or Latino 17.07%

Unknown 7.07%

White 63.53%

Gender

female 19.12%

male 80.88%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

0.5

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a sound editor

Explore sound editor education requirements

Most common sound editor degrees

Bachelor's

69.7 %

Associate

14.0 %

Master's

8.4 %

Start to develop specific sound editor skills

Skills	Percentages
ADR	14.92%
Video Games	14.72%
SFX	14.41%
Pro Tools	10.44%
Feature Film	7.28%

Complete relevant sound editor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sound editors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a sound editor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sound editor resumes.

Research sound editor duties and 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 )

Prepare your sound editor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sound editor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a sound editor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable sound editor resume templates

Build a professional sound editor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your sound editor resume.