Sound technician demographics and statistics in the US
Sound technician demographics research summary. Zippia estimates sound technician demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our sound technician 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 technicians after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 5,453 sound technicians currently employed in the United States.
- 17.1% of all sound technicians are women, while 82.9% are men.
- The average sound technician age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of sound technicians is White (63.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.0%), Black or African American (9.3%) and Unknown (6.3%).
- In 2022, women earned 91% of what men earned.
- 8% of all sound technicians are LGBT.
- Sound technicians are 46% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Sound technician demographics by:
Sound technician gender statistics
17.1% of sound technicians are women and 82.9% of sound technicians are men.
- Male, 82.9%
- Female, 17.1%
Sound technician gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 82.9% |
| Female | 17.1% |
Sound technician gender pay gap
Women earn 91¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$45,430
Female income
$41,393
Sound technician gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in sound technician positions over time. Currently, 17.1% of sound technicians are female.
Sound technician gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.24% | 17.76% |
| 2011 | 80.77% | 19.23% |
| 2012 | 83.29% | 16.71% |
| 2013 | 86.28% | 13.72% |
| 2014 | 85.55% | 14.45% |
| 2015 | 86.87% | 13.13% |
| 2016 | 87.94% | 12.06% |
| 2017 | 86.58% | 13.42% |
| 2018 | 84.52% | 15.48% |
| 2019 | 81.45% | 18.55% |
| 2020 | 79.23% | 20.77% |
| 2021 | 82.87% | 17.13% |
Sound technician related jobs gender ratio
We compared sound technicians 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 Technician | 83% | 17% |
| 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 technician demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among sound technicians is White, which makes up 63.0% of all sound technicians. Comparatively, 16.0% of sound technicians are Hispanic or Latino and 9.3% of sound technicians are Black or African American.
- White, 63.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.0%
- Black or African American, 9.3%
- Unknown, 6.3%
- Asian, 5.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Sound technician race
| Sound technician race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 63.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.0% |
| Black or African American | 9.3% |
| Unknown | 6.3% |
| Asian | 5.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Sound technician race and ethnicity over time
See how sound technician racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Sound technician race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.93% | 10.05% | 4.58% | 14.34% |
| 2011 | 65.90% | 12.09% | 3.85% | 16.38% |
| 2012 | 67.67% | 9.56% | 4.35% | 16.00% |
| 2013 | 67.56% | 9.52% | 4.43% | 16.39% |
| 2014 | 64.79% | 11.47% | 4.54% | 15.46% |
| 2015 | 66.47% | 7.83% | 5.46% | 17.70% |
| 2016 | 65.67% | 9.17% | 5.21% | 17.46% |
| 2017 | 65.70% | 9.95% | 4.00% | 17.01% |
| 2018 | 67.40% | 9.18% | 5.00% | 15.88% |
| 2019 | 68.59% | 8.04% | 4.30% | 16.18% |
| 2020 | 64.01% | 9.01% | 5.59% | 15.22% |
| 2021 | 62.97% | 9.31% | 5.04% | 16.05% |
Sound technician wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown sound technicians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american sound technicians have the lowest average salary at $44,188.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $47,476 |
| White | $45,370 |
| Black or African American | $44,188 |
| Asian | $45,600 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $44,588 |
Average sound technician age
See how the average age of sound technicians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Sound technician 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 technician age breakdown
The average age of sound technicians is 40+ years years old, representing 54% of the sound technician population.
Sound technician age breakdown
| Sound Technician Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 54% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 16% |
Sound technician educational attainment
The most common degree for sound technicians is bachelor's degree, with 55% of sound technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 16%.
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 21%
- High School Diploma, 16%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Sound technicians by degree level
| Sound technician degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 55% |
| Associate | 21% |
| High School Diploma | 16% |
| Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Sound technician jobs you might like
Sound technician wage gap by degree level
According to the data, sound technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $47,037 annually. With a Associate degree, sound technicians earn a median annual income of $44,227 compared to $39,789 for sound technicians with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $39,789 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,037 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,227 |
Sound technician employment statistics
Most sound technicians work for a private in the education industry.
Company size where sound technicians work
Below, you can see the size of companies where sound technicians work.
Sound technician jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 12% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 33% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 22% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 18% |
| > 10,000 employees | 7% |
Sound technician jobs by company type
Employees with the sound technician job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most sound technicians prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Sound technician jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 40% |
| Public | 11% |
| Private | 46% |
| Government | 3% |
Sound technician jobs by industry
The most common industries for sound technicians are education, non profits and media.
Sound technician industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 29% |
| Non Profits | 24% |
| Media | 9% |
| Hospitality | 7% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Construction | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
Sound technician turnover and employment statistics
Sound technician unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for sound technicians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sound technician unemployment rate by year
| Year | Sound technician 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 technician tenure
The average sound technician stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,110 sound technicians resumes in Zippia's database.
Sound technician tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 18% |
| 1-2 years | 30% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 13% |
Sound technician LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of sound technicians 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Video Effects Editor | 7.31% | 5,464 |
| Sound Technician | 7.56% | - |
| Photographic Specialist | 8.13% | 19,374 |
| Assistant Editor | 11.70% | 8,716 |
| Graphic Designer And Photographer | 12.14% | 46,087 |
| Interior Design Internship | 17.34% | 88,151 |
| Cast Member | 23.07% | 79,789 |
Similar sound technician jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Video Effects Editor | 7.31% | 5,464 |
| Photographic Specialist | 8.13% | 19,374 |
| Assistant Editor | 11.70% | 8,716 |
| Graphic Designer And Photographer | 12.14% | 46,087 |
| Interior Design Internship | 17.34% | 88,151 |
| Cast Member | 23.07% | 79,789 |
Foreign languages spoken by sound technicians
The most common foreign language among sound technicians is Spanish at 50.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.1% and German is the third-most popular at 10.0%.
- Spanish, 50.7%
- French, 12.1%
- German, 10.0%
- Chinese, 5.0%
- Japanese, 5.0%
- Other, 17.2%
Sound technician languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 50.7% |
| French | 12.1% |
| German | 10.0% |
| Chinese | 5.0% |
| Japanese | 5.0% |
| Other | 17.2% |
