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Sound technician vs sound mixer

The differences between sound technicians and sound mixers 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 technician and a sound mixer. Additionally, a sound technician has an average salary of $43,270, which is higher than the $37,059 average annual salary of a sound mixer.

The top three skills for a sound technician include sound equipment, wireless microphones and audio equipment. The most important skills for a sound mixer are sound design, pro tools, and documentaries.

Sound technician vs sound mixer overview

Sound TechnicianSound Mixer
Yearly salary$43,270$37,059
Hourly rate$20.80$17.82
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs6,6211,182
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Sound technician vs sound mixer salary

Sound technicians and sound mixers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Sound TechnicianSound Mixer
Average salary$43,270$37,059
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $73,000Between $24,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between sound technician and sound mixer education

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

Sound TechnicianSound Mixer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorMusicPhotography
Most common collegeNew York UniversityInter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Sound technician vs sound mixer demographics

Here are the differences between sound technicians' and sound mixers' demographics:

Sound TechnicianSound Mixer
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 82.9% Female, 17.1%Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 5.0% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black 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%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between sound technician and sound mixer duties and responsibilities

Sound technician example responsibilities.

  • Create new costumes, props and scenery.
  • Coordinate costumes for various roles and scenes.
  • Set up all audio and dj equipment for schedule events.
  • Create weekly PowerPoint presentations for Sunday services as well as other events as they occur.
  • Operate FOH for various live events including music concerts, comedians, presentations, and speeches.
  • Work as the projectionist in several shows and run computer programs for show monitors on stage.
  • Show more

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

Sound technician vs sound mixer skills

Common sound technician skills
  • Sound Equipment, 16%
  • Wireless Microphones, 13%
  • Audio Equipment, 13%
  • Technical Equipment, 5%
  • Live Sound, 5%
  • Live Productions, 4%
Common sound mixer skills
  • Sound Design, 22%
  • Pro Tools, 15%
  • Documentaries, 14%
  • ADR, 10%
  • Sound Equipment, 9%
  • SFX, 8%

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