Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between stage technicians and audio visual specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a stage technician and an audio visual specialist. Additionally, an audio visual specialist has an average salary of $50,127, which is higher than the $40,047 average annual salary of a stage technician.
The top three skills for a stage technician include video equipment, venues and audio equipment. The most important skills for an audio visual specialist are visualization, video production, and unity.
| Stage Technician | Audio Visual Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $40,047 | $50,127 |
| Hourly rate | $19.25 | $24.10 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 30,456 | 31,773 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A stage technician is part of the production and technical side of a stage play performance. The stage technician's job is to work alongside the floor director and the props team in the set up of the stage before a performance and packing it up afterward. Alongside this main role, a stage technician also serves as one of the people involved in the set up of props, lighting, stage equipment, sound placements, and other technical issues needed for a stage performance.
Audiovisual specialists are skilled professionals who focus on the effective operation of audiovisual systems and technology. These specialists are required to maintain and troubleshoot audio, video, and lighting equipment that are used in broadcasts and recordings. They must connect, tune, and configure audio-video setups to ensure high-quality broadcasting while operating software to control the AV technologies. Audiovisual specialists must also monitor live feeds as well as prepare teleprompters with scripts.
Stage technicians and audio visual specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Stage Technician | Audio Visual Specialist | |
| Average salary | $40,047 | $50,127 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $58,000 | Between $32,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Reno, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | General Electric | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a stage technician and an audio visual specialist in terms of educational background:
| Stage Technician | Audio Visual Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Theatre | Business |
| Most common college | Johns Hopkins University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between stage technicians' and audio visual specialists' demographics:
| Stage Technician | Audio Visual Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% | Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |