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Sound mixer vs music engineer

The differences between sound mixers and music engineers 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 mixer and a music engineer. Additionally, a music engineer has an average salary of $80,422, which is higher than the $37,059 average annual salary of a sound mixer.

The top three skills for a sound mixer include sound design, pro tools and documentaries. The most important skills for a music engineer are audio equipment, music production, and R.

Sound mixer vs music engineer overview

Sound MixerMusic Engineer
Yearly salary$37,059$80,422
Hourly rate$17.82$38.66
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs1,1823,210
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Sound mixer vs music engineer salary

Sound mixers and music engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Sound MixerMusic Engineer
Average salary$37,059$80,422
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $55,000Between $53,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between sound mixer and music engineer education

There are a few differences between a sound mixer and a music engineer in terms of educational background:

Sound MixerMusic Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common majorPhotographyMusic
Most common collegeInter American University of Puerto Rico BayamonNew York University

Sound mixer vs music engineer demographics

Here are the differences between sound mixers' and music engineers' demographics:

Sound MixerMusic Engineer
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 87.1% Female, 12.9%Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 5.0% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between sound mixer and music engineer duties and responsibilities

Sound mixer example responsibilities.

  • Produce by BBC and PBS; shown nationally.
  • Sound recordist for independent film, radio, and television productions.
  • Record ADR and foley where require.
  • Mix feature length documentaries in both English and Spanish.
  • Edit and add SFX to prep shows for mix.
  • Assist in setting up various film equipment as needed.
  • Show more

Music engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage PowerPoint and mixing music at the same time.
  • Operate various digital and analog audio consoles during musical performances to create optimal experience for listener and musicians.
  • Retain several local and national commercial clients while primarily engineering and producing music CDs.

Sound mixer vs music engineer skills

Common sound mixer skills
  • Sound Design, 22%
  • Pro Tools, 15%
  • Documentaries, 14%
  • ADR, 10%
  • Sound Equipment, 9%
  • SFX, 8%
Common music engineer skills
  • Audio Equipment, 18%
  • Music Production, 17%
  • R, 14%
  • Pro Tools, 14%
  • Music Theory, 14%
  • Sound Effects, 9%

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