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

What is a sound engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

An Audio or Sound Engineer, much as the name implies, is tasked with the management of the technical aspects of sound in terms of media, whether it be live streaming or pre-recorded broadcasting.

They are generally meant to set up audio equipment and work with producers, directors, and musicians to optimize the use of this technology and understand the problems that need solving and the perimeters of the project. The Engineer also alters and edits audio files as necessary and fixes issues as they come up.

A person seeking work as a Sound Engineer generally needs to have only a high school diploma, though a university degree and certification in a relevant subject may be preferred or even necessary. Previous work experience is often needed in positions similar to this one or even those assisting Sound Engineers. Creativity, understanding of microphones and other audio equipment, and communication skills are also important.

ScoreSound EngineerUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,197

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.9

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 5.10%

Black or African American 9.28%

Hispanic or Latino 16.47%

Unknown 6.34%

White 62.45%

Gender

female 9.75%

male 90.25%

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 engineer

Explore sound engineer education requirements

Most common sound engineer degrees

Bachelor's

53.0 %

Associate

26.1 %

High School Diploma

9.4 %

Start to develop specific sound engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Audio Equipment	15.01%
Venues	10.96%
A/V	10.44%
Technical Aspects	7.63%
Live Sound	5.05%

Complete relevant sound engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sound engineers 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 engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sound engineer resumes.

Research sound engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage PowerPoint and mixing music at the same time.
Work for local contractor designing spreader bars for crane rigging using AutoCAD.
Provide equipment and engineering services for performers, musicians, bands, and DJ's.
Mix all live services FOH and maintain all audio, broadcasting and media system as well.

Prepare your sound engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sound engineer 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 engineer 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 engineer resume templates

Build a professional sound engineer 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 engineer resume.