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Sound recording technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sound recording technician. Sound recording technicians usually study photography, music, or communication. 70% of sound recording technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 65 real sound recording technician resumes to see exactly what sound recording technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for sound recording technicians are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online sound recording technician courses to help get the education required to be a sound recording technician.
What education do you need to become a sound recording technician?
What degree do you need to be a sound recording technician?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Associate, 9%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a sound recording technician?
- Photography, 21%
- Music, 13%
- Communication, 11%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for sound recording technicians
| Sound recording technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 13.64% |
| Western Washington University | 4.55% |
| New York University | 4.55% |
| University of Oklahoma | 4.55% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 4.55% |
Best majors for sound recording technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 21.3% |
| 2 | Music | 12.8% |
| 3 | Communication | 10.6% |
| 4 | Business | 6.4% |
| 5 | Audiovisual Communications Technologies | 6.4% |
Best colleges for sound recording technicians
The best colleges for sound recording technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A sound recording technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sound recording technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become sound recording technicians.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for sound recording technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for sound recording technicians
The most affordable schools for sound recording technicians are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for sound recording technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for sound recording technicians.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sound recording technicians
The hardest universities for sound recording technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for sound recording technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for sound recording technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sound recording technicians
The easiest schools for sound recording technicians to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sound recording technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for sound recording technicians.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average sound recording technician salary by education level
| Sound recording technician education level | Sound recording technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $52,880 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,209 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $58,000 |
Sound recording technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025