How To Become A Theater Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a theater technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Scott Boyle

A Theater Technician is responsible for operating and maintaining technical equipment and systems used in the field of performing arts and in the entertainment industry. Their job covers managing the equipment used in sporting events, conferences, meetings, seminars, and presentations. They set up and operate audio-visual equipment. This includes microphones, projectors, speakers, video monitors, video screens, sound and mixing boards, editing consoles, connecting wires, cables, and so on. Sometimes, they may be required to set up equipment like spotlights or other systems for lighting.

The educational qualification of a theater technician varies by industry. However, if you have a degree in journalism, communication, and video technology, you are good to go. The skillset for this role includes critical thinking, attention to detail, multitasking, and listening skills. Theatre Technicians make an average salary of $43,488 per year. The salary ranges between $37,251 and $51,388.

What general advice would you give to a theater technician?

Scott Boyle

Associate Professor/Technical Director, University of Minnesota - Duluth

Theater companies are still figuring things out post-pandemic. A lot of experienced workers moved on leaving some companies scrambling for people to fill the vacancies. There's also a lot of financial instability within the theater world. DO YOUR RESEARCH when searching for a job. Search for local articles written about the health of the Arts scene in that area. Look at the cost of housing, food and transportation. Be realistic about what it costs to live and how that stacks up against what the job pays.

ScoreTheater TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,818

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 5.09%

Black or African American 8.66%

Hispanic or Latino 16.41%

Unknown 6.29%

White 63.18%

Gender

female 29.84%

male 70.16%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a theater technician

Explore theater technician education requirements

Most common theater technician degrees

Bachelor's

60.0 %

Associate

20.7 %

High School Diploma

11.0 %

Start to develop specific theater technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Sound Equipment	13.52%
Technical Support	12.47%
Video Equipment	10.79%
Audio Equipment	8.79%
A/V	6.93%

Complete relevant theater technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New theater technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a theater technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real theater technician resumes.

Research theater technician duties and responsibilities

Maintain and manage multiple stages: FOH mix, monitor mix, and video presentation editing mix.
Set up, operate, strike and troubleshoot audio, video and lighting equipment
Design the set and run the lights/sound system for high school plays and annual assemblies.
Report equipment problems, or troubleshoot with other crew members, and ensure that require repairs are make.

Prepare your theater technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your theater technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a theater technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable theater technician resume templates

Build a professional theater technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your theater technician resume.