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Sound technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sound technician. Sound technicians usually study music, business, or communication. 55% of sound technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,110 real sound technician resumes to see exactly what sound technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for sound technicians are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online sound technician courses to help get the education required to be a sound technician.
There are certain sound technician certifications that you should consider. These sound technician certifications include Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
What education do you need to become a sound technician?
What degree do you need to be a sound technician?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 21%
- High School Diploma, 16%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a sound technician?
- Music, 17%
- Business, 11%
- Communication, 10%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for sound technicians
| Sound technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 20.53% |
| DeVry University | 5.96% |
| Berklee College of Music | 5.96% |
| Liberty University | 5.96% |
| Western Washington University | 5.30% |
Best majors for sound technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 16.8% |
| 2 | Business | 10.5% |
| 3 | Communication | 9.6% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 6.5% |
| 5 | Photography | 6.1% |
Best colleges for sound technicians
The best colleges for sound technicians are Johns Hopkins University, New York University, and Northeastern University.
A sound 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 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 technicians.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
3. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Enrollment
4,169
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Suffolk University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$38,566
Enrollment
5,012
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German
San German, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Enrollment
3,747
20 best online courses for sound technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for sound technicians
The most affordable schools for sound technicians are California State University - Long Beach, baruch college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for sound 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 technicians.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
8. York College of the City University of New York
Jamaica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,158
Cost of attendance
14,204
9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sound technicians
The hardest universities for sound technicians to get into are Johns Hopkins University, New York University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for sound 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 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
9. Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,321
10. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sound technicians
The easiest schools for sound technicians to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, kean university, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sound 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 technicians.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
Average sound technician salary by education level
| Sound technician education level | Sound technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $39,789 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,037 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,227 |
Sound technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025