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Sound engineer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring sound engineers in the United States:
Here's a step-by-step sound engineer hiring guide:
Sound engineers are audio engineering professionals who are responsible for performing audio mixes and reproduction while manipulating the equalization and electronic effects of sound. These engineers must design and control the sound at different locations such as theaters, conferences, and any other venue that requires sound projection. By using their well-trained ears, sound engineers must control the combination of microphones, sound levels, and sound outputs. Sound engineers must also maintain and sound up sound equipment such as amplifiers, complex PA systems, and speakers for bands and other sound engineers.
Before you post your sound engineer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a sound engineer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.
You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a sound engineer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a sound engineer that fits the bill.
The following list breaks down different types of sound engineers and their corresponding salaries.
| Type of Sound Engineer | Description | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Engineer | Broadcast and sound engineering technicians set up, operate, and maintain the electrical equipment for radio programs, television broadcasts, concerts, sound recordings, and movies. | $13-45 |
| Audio Technician | An audio technician is a person who works in a variety of media fields and broadcasting and is responsible for capturing audio signals. They are involved in maintaining audio equipment, setup, speakers and sound mixer, and everything from the cables and microphones to the monitor... Show more | $14-42 |
| Audio Engineer | An audio engineer is a trained professional who specializes in working with the mechanics of recording, mixing, and reproducing sound. Audio engineers work with clients such as record producers, musicians, and artists to record the sound they are making and manipulate the equalizer, the compression, and the gates when mixing... Show more | $14-49 |
Including a salary range in your sound engineer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A sound engineer can vary based on:
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $73,201 | $35 |
| 2 | California | $69,501 | $33 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $65,179 | $31 |
| 4 | North Carolina | $60,462 | $29 |
| 5 | New York | $60,039 | $29 |
| 6 | Michigan | $58,531 | $28 |
| 7 | Florida | $54,432 | $26 |
| 8 | Ohio | $51,942 | $25 |
| 9 | Louisiana | $51,730 | $25 |
| 10 | Illinois | $49,728 | $24 |
| 11 | Georgia | $48,264 | $23 |
| 12 | Texas | $46,922 | $23 |
| 13 | Maryland | $37,545 | $18 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $35,661 | $17 |
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Techtronic Industries TTI | $100,697 | $48.41 | |
| 2 | Live Nation Entertainment | $81,017 | $38.95 | 23 |
| 3 | Arcus | $69,047 | $33.20 | |
| 4 | National Football League | $56,183 | $27.01 | |
| 5 | TVB | $51,960 | $24.98 | |
| 6 | City of Greenville, NC | $50,948 | $24.49 | |
| 7 | First United Church of Christ | $49,682 | $23.89 | |
| 8 | Southern California Sound Image | $49,682 | $23.89 | |
| 9 | Das Electronics | $44,774 | $21.53 | |
| 10 | ASI | $42,919 | $20.63 | |
| 11 | Silverline | $42,420 | $20.39 | |
| 12 | Johns Hopkins University | $41,054 | $19.74 | 4 |
| 13 | The Atlantic | $34,718 | $16.69 | |
| 14 | Big Night | $30,084 | $14.46 | 1 |
| 15 | House of Blues | $25,668 | $12.34 | |
| 16 | William Paterson University Athletics | $25,586 | $12.30 |
A job description for a sound engineer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a sound engineer job description:
There are a few common ways to find sound engineers for your business:
Recruiting sound engineers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Once you've selected the best sound engineer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.
It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.
To prepare for the new sound engineer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.
Before you start to hire sound engineers, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire sound engineers pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.
You can expect to pay around $52,197 per year for a sound engineer, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for sound engineers in the US typically range between $13 and $45 an hour.