Sound engineer demographics and statistics in the US
Sound engineer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates sound engineer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our sound engineer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about sound engineers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 10,042 sound engineers currently employed in the United States.
- 9.7% of all sound engineers are women, while 90.3% are men.
- The average sound engineer age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of sound engineers is White (62.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.5%), Black or African American (9.3%) and Unknown (6.3%).
- Sound engineers are most in-demand in Lake Buena Vista, FL.
- Philadelphia, PA pays an annual average wage of $73,201, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women sound engineers earned 90% of what men earned.
- Oregon is the best state for sound engineers to live.
- Sound engineers are 62% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Sound engineer demographics by:
Sound engineer gender statistics
9.7% of sound engineers are women and 90.3% of sound engineers are men.
- Male, 90.3%
- Female, 9.7%
Sound engineer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 90.3% |
| Female | 9.7% |
Sound engineer gender pay gap
Women earn 90¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$55,171
Female income
$49,630
Sound engineer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in sound engineer positions over time. Currently, 9.7% of sound engineers are female.
Sound engineer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 89.86% | 10.14% |
| 2011 | 88.94% | 11.06% |
| 2012 | 90.51% | 9.49% |
| 2013 | 92.33% | 7.67% |
| 2014 | 91.89% | 8.11% |
| 2015 | 92.68% | 7.32% |
| 2016 | 93.31% | 6.69% |
| 2017 | 92.51% | 7.49% |
| 2018 | 91.26% | 8.74% |
| 2019 | 89.37% | 10.63% |
| 2020 | 87.96% | 12.04% |
| 2021 | 90.25% | 9.75% |
Sound engineer related jobs gender ratio
We compared sound engineers 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 Engineer | 90% | 10% |
| 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 engineer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among sound engineers is White, which makes up 62.4% of all sound engineers. Comparatively, 16.5% of sound engineers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.3% of sound engineers are Black or African American.
- White, 62.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.5%
- Black or African American, 9.3%
- Unknown, 6.3%
- Asian, 5.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Sound engineer race
| Sound engineer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 62.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.5% |
| Black or African American | 9.3% |
| Unknown | 6.3% |
| Asian | 5.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Sound engineer race and ethnicity over time
See how sound engineer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Sound engineer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.41% | 10.02% | 4.64% | 14.76% |
| 2011 | 65.37% | 12.06% | 3.91% | 16.80% |
| 2012 | 67.14% | 9.53% | 4.41% | 16.42% |
| 2013 | 67.03% | 9.49% | 4.49% | 16.81% |
| 2014 | 64.26% | 11.44% | 4.60% | 15.89% |
| 2015 | 65.94% | 7.80% | 5.52% | 18.12% |
| 2016 | 65.14% | 9.14% | 5.26% | 17.88% |
| 2017 | 65.17% | 9.92% | 4.06% | 17.43% |
| 2018 | 66.87% | 9.15% | 5.06% | 16.30% |
| 2019 | 68.06% | 8.01% | 4.36% | 16.60% |
| 2020 | 63.48% | 8.97% | 5.65% | 15.65% |
| 2021 | 62.45% | 9.28% | 5.10% | 16.47% |
Sound engineer wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown sound engineers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american sound engineers have the lowest average salary at $53,458.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $58,005 |
| White | $55,088 |
| Black or African American | $53,458 |
| Asian | $55,406 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $54,009 |
Average sound engineer age
See how the average age of sound engineers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Sound engineer 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 engineer age breakdown
The average age of sound engineers is 40+ years years old, representing 54% of the sound engineer population.
Sound engineer age breakdown
| Sound Engineer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 54% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 16% |
Sound engineer educational attainment
The most common degree for sound engineers is bachelor's degree, with 53% of sound engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 9%.
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Associate, 26%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 8%
Sound engineers by degree level
| Sound engineer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 53% |
| Associate | 26% |
| High School Diploma | 9% |
| Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 8% |
Sound engineer jobs you might like
Sound engineer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, sound engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $57,396 annually. With a Associate degree, sound engineers earn a median annual income of $53,513 compared to $47,449 for sound engineers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,449 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,396 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,513 |
Sound engineer employment statistics
Most sound engineers work for a private in the education industry.
Company size where sound engineers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where sound engineers work.
Sound engineer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 10% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 23% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 29% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 12% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 15% |
| > 10,000 employees | 11% |
Sound engineer jobs by company type
Employees with the sound engineer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most sound engineers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Sound engineer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 23% |
| Public | 13% |
| Private | 62% |
| Government | 3% |
Sound engineer jobs by industry
The most common industries for sound engineers are education, media and non profits.
Sound engineer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 18% |
| Media | 15% |
| Non Profits | 14% |
| Hospitality | 12% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Technology | 7% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Sound engineer turnover and employment statistics
Sound engineer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for sound engineers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sound engineer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Sound engineer 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 engineer tenure
The average sound engineer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 4,787 sound engineers resumes in Zippia's database.
Sound engineer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 16% |
| 1-2 years | 26% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 9% |
| 11+ years | 18% |
Sound engineer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of sound engineers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Videographer | 7.31% | 66,912 |
| Sound Engineer | 7.56% | - |
| Studio Owner | 8.13% | 47,279 |
| Social Media Editor | 11.70% | 37,769 |
| Web Designer | 12.14% | 50,899 |
| Kitchen Designer | 17.34% | 56,831 |
| Actress | 23.07% | 2,661 |
Similar sound engineer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Videographer | 7.31% | 66,912 |
| Studio Owner | 8.13% | 47,279 |
| Social Media Editor | 11.70% | 37,769 |
| Web Designer | 12.14% | 50,899 |
| Kitchen Designer | 17.34% | 56,831 |
| Actress | 23.07% | 2,661 |
Foreign languages spoken by sound engineers
The most common foreign language among sound engineers is Spanish at 50.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 9.2% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 5.6%.
- Spanish, 50.3%
- French, 9.2%
- Portuguese, 5.6%
- German, 5.1%
- Italian, 5.1%
- Other, 24.7%
Sound engineer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 50.3% |
| French | 9.2% |
| Portuguese | 5.6% |
| German | 5.1% |
| Italian | 5.1% |
| Other | 24.7% |
