Sound editor demographics and statistics in the US
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Sound editor demographics by:
Sound editor gender statistics
19.1% of sound editors are women and 80.9% of sound editors are men.
- Male, 80.9%
- Female, 19.1%
Sound editor gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 80.9% |
| Female | 19.1% |
Sound editor gender pay gap
Women earn 86¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$52,222
Female income
$44,998
Sound editor gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in sound editor positions over time. Currently, 19.1% of sound editors are female.
Sound editor gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 80.19% | 19.81% |
| 2011 | 78.60% | 21.40% |
| 2012 | 81.33% | 18.67% |
| 2013 | 84.61% | 15.39% |
| 2014 | 83.82% | 16.18% |
| 2015 | 85.26% | 14.74% |
| 2016 | 86.44% | 13.56% |
| 2017 | 84.95% | 15.05% |
| 2018 | 82.68% | 17.32% |
| 2019 | 79.34% | 20.66% |
| 2020 | 76.94% | 23.06% |
| 2021 | 80.88% | 19.12% |
Sound editor related jobs gender ratio
We compared sound editors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, broadcast maintenance engineer and audio installer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Photographer Helper | 18% | 82% |
| Studio Associate | 23% | 77% |
| Photography Internship | 30% | 70% |
| Sound Editor | 81% | 19% |
| News Cameraman | 95% | 5% |
| Audio Installer | 95% | 5% |
| Broadcast Maintenance Engineer | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Sound editor demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among sound editors is White, which makes up 63.5% of all sound editors. Comparatively, 17.1% of sound editors are Hispanic or Latino and 7.1% of sound editors are Unknown.
- White, 63.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.1%
- Unknown, 7.1%
- Black or African American, 6.8%
- Asian, 5.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Sound editor race
| Sound editor race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 63.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.1% |
| Unknown | 7.1% |
| Black or African American | 6.8% |
| Asian | 5.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Sound editor race and ethnicity over time
See how sound editor racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Sound editor race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 68.49% | 7.50% | 4.72% | 15.36% |
| 2011 | 66.46% | 9.54% | 3.99% | 17.39% |
| 2012 | 68.23% | 7.01% | 4.50% | 17.02% |
| 2013 | 68.11% | 6.97% | 4.57% | 17.41% |
| 2014 | 65.35% | 8.92% | 4.68% | 16.48% |
| 2015 | 67.02% | 5.28% | 5.61% | 18.72% |
| 2016 | 66.22% | 6.62% | 5.35% | 18.48% |
| 2017 | 66.26% | 7.40% | 4.15% | 18.03% |
| 2018 | 67.96% | 6.63% | 5.15% | 16.90% |
| 2019 | 69.15% | 5.49% | 4.45% | 17.20% |
| 2020 | 64.57% | 6.45% | 5.73% | 16.24% |
| 2021 | 63.53% | 6.76% | 5.18% | 17.07% |
Sound editor wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown sound editors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american sound editors have the lowest average salary at $49,956.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $56,035 |
| White | $52,111 |
| Black or African American | $49,956 |
| Asian | $52,535 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $50,682 |
Average sound editor age
See how the average age of sound editors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Sound editor age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 35 | |
| White | 41 | 42.5 |
| Black or African American | 46.5 | |
| Asian | 40 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40.5 |
Sound editor age breakdown
The average age of sound editors is 40+ years years old, representing 54% of the sound editor population.
Sound editor age breakdown
| Sound Editor Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 54% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 16% |
Sound editor educational attainment
The most common degree for sound editors is bachelor's degree, with 70% of sound editors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 8%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Sound editors by degree level
| Sound editor degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 70% |
| Associate | 14% |
| Master's | 8% |
| Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Sound editor jobs you might like
Sound editor wage gap by degree level
According to the data, sound editors with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $55,209 annually. With a Associate degree, sound editors earn a median annual income of $50,027 compared to $42,241 for sound editors with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,241 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,209 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $50,027 |
Sound editor employment statistics
Most sound editors work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where sound editors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where sound editors work.
Sound editor jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 11% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 23% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 29% |
| > 10,000 employees | 13% |
Sound editor jobs by company type
Employees with the sound editor job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most sound editors prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Sound editor jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 15% |
| Public | 15% |
| Private | 69% |
| Government | 1% |
Sound editor jobs by industry
The most common industries for sound editors are media, education and technology.
Sound editor industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 28% |
| Education | 12% |
| Technology | 8% |
| Hospitality | 7% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Internet | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Construction | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
Sound editor turnover and employment statistics
Sound editor unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for sound editors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sound editor unemployment rate by year
| Year | Sound editor unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.87% |
| 2011 | 6.95% |
| 2012 | 6.61% |
| 2013 | 7.48% |
| 2014 | 5.24% |
| 2015 | 4.77% |
| 2016 | 4.60% |
| 2017 | 4.86% |
| 2018 | 2.67% |
| 2019 | 6.09% |
| 2020 | 13.00% |
| 2021 | 13.00% |
Average sound editor tenure
The average sound editor stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 691 sound editors resumes in Zippia's database.
Sound editor tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 30% |
| 1-2 years | 26% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Sound editor LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of sound editors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Floor Director | 7.31% | 20,804 |
| Sound Editor | 7.56% | - |
| Newspaper Photographer | 8.13% | 1,432 |
| Production Editor | 11.70% | 62,877 |
| Design Internship | 12.14% | 97,018 |
| Interior Designer | 17.34% | 48,020 |
| Cast Member | 23.07% | 79,789 |
Similar sound editor jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Floor Director | 7.31% | 20,804 |
| Newspaper Photographer | 8.13% | 1,432 |
| Production Editor | 11.70% | 62,877 |
| Design Internship | 12.14% | 97,018 |
| Interior Designer | 17.34% | 48,020 |
| Cast Member | 23.07% | 79,789 |
Foreign languages spoken by sound editors
The most common foreign language among sound editors is Spanish at 40.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Japanese at 14.3% and Italian is the third-most popular at 8.6%.
- Spanish, 40.0%
- Japanese, 14.3%
- Italian, 8.6%
- Chinese, 5.7%
- French, 5.7%
- Other, 25.7%
Sound editor languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 40.0% |
| Japanese | 14.3% |
| Italian | 8.6% |
| Chinese | 5.7% |
| French | 5.7% |
| Other | 25.7% |
