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Sound engineer vs public address technician

The differences between sound engineers and public address technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a sound engineer and a public address technician. Additionally, a sound engineer has an average salary of $52,197, which is higher than the $39,375 average annual salary of a public address technician.

The top three skills for a sound engineer include audio equipment, venues and A/V. The most important skills for a public address technician are photoshop, GIS, and press releases.

Sound engineer vs public address technician overview

Sound EngineerPublic Address Technician
Yearly salary$52,197$39,375
Hourly rate$25.09$18.93
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs6,92313,327
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Sound engineer vs public address technician salary

Sound engineers and public address technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Sound EngineerPublic Address Technician
Average salary$52,197$39,375
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $95,000Between $25,000 And $60,000
Highest paying CityPhiladelphia, PA-
Highest paying stateOregon-
Best paying companyTechtronic Industries TTI-
Best paying industry--

Differences between sound engineer and public address technician education

There are a few differences between a sound engineer and a public address technician in terms of educational background:

Sound EngineerPublic Address Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorMusicBusiness
Most common collegeJohns Hopkins UniversityNew York University

Sound engineer vs public address technician demographics

Here are the differences between sound engineers' and public address technicians' demographics:

Sound EngineerPublic Address Technician
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 90.3% Female, 9.7%Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 5.0% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between sound engineer and public address technician duties and responsibilities

Sound engineer example 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.
  • Experience tuning, calculating EQ settings, as well as appropriate delay times within an automobile.
  • Master multiple projects albums by working on song levels plus EQ and correct minor mix deficiencies with equalization.
  • Show more

Public address technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead false-positive team to identify and resolve network service issues and produce a manual for outsource providers to troubleshoot technical issues.
  • Increase company SharePoint knowledge and assist staff in meeting firm wide SharePoint goals.
  • Utilize SharePoint for document management and control.
  • Work consist of calibration and installation of many electronic transmitters used in monitoring power boiler operations.
  • Operate FOH for various live events including music concerts, comedians, presentations, and speeches.

Sound engineer vs public address technician skills

Common sound engineer skills
  • Audio Equipment, 15%
  • Venues, 11%
  • A/V, 10%
  • Technical Aspects, 8%
  • Live Sound, 5%
  • Stage Equipment, 4%
Common public address technician skills
  • Photoshop, 36%
  • GIS, 32%
  • Press Releases, 32%

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