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Video engineer vs audio technician

The differences between video engineers and audio technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a video engineer and an audio technician. Additionally, a video engineer has an average salary of $100,343, which is higher than the $51,473 average annual salary of an audio technician.

The top three skills for a video engineer include MPEG, VOD and video equipment. The most important skills for an audio technician are wireless microphones, video equipment, and audio systems.

Video engineer vs audio technician overview

Video EngineerAudio Technician
Yearly salary$100,343$51,473
Hourly rate$48.24$24.75
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs8,90030,951
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does a video engineer do?

A video engineer installs and maintains video equipment in a certain location. Video engineers are responsible for operating electronic equipment for television and radio program transmission. They control the audio equipment for volume level regulation and sound quality during broadcasting. The skills necessary for this job include project management, attention to detail, digital video knowledge, technical support, and video systems. They also need knowledge in video networks, Java, video equipment, and Linux.

What does an audio technician do?

An audio technician is a person who works in a variety of media fields and broadcasting and is responsible for capturing audio signals. They are involved in maintaining audio equipment, setup, speakers and sound mixer, and everything from the cables and microphones to the monitor. Also, audio technicians repair equipment that is faulty to continue recording with minimal disruption to the recording session. They are needed for live production venues, recording studios, television, radio broadcasts, and worship spaces. An audio technician works under a sound engineer who handles the creative process and final mixing involved with audio production.

Video engineer vs audio technician salary

Video engineers and audio technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Video EngineerAudio Technician
Average salary$100,343$51,473
Salary rangeBetween $65,000 And $154,000Between $30,000 And $88,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companyByteDance-
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between video engineer and audio technician education

There are a few differences between a video engineer and an audio technician in terms of educational background:

Video EngineerAudio Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringMusic
Most common collegeStanford UniversityJohns Hopkins University

Video engineer vs audio technician demographics

Here are the differences between video engineers' and audio technicians' demographics:

Video EngineerAudio Technician
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 90.4% Female, 9.6%Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between video engineer and audio technician duties and responsibilities

Video engineer example responsibilities.

  • Program content and manage the company's YouTube channel.
  • Utilize a CMS to manage digital assets and develop the proper HTML coding for distribution requests.
  • Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
  • Perform quality control of audio, video and close captioning elements for tape, DVD, and CD duplication.
  • Apply proper RF propagation and antenna theory to install and operate multi-band UHF microphone and multi-channel communication systems at live events.
  • Configure channel maps for multiple headend systems.
  • Show more

Audio technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage and maintain the wireless system, network, servers, and desktop PCs.
  • Prepare Dj equipment, check sound quality, and also assist clients w/ request.
  • Edit promos for abc network programing.
  • Interact with host to ensure conference run smoothly and efficiently.
  • Set up sound gear and mix audio for CNN guest appearances and show tapings.
  • Record for rebroadcast on KHYBER TV (Pakistan), Shabob Radio.net (Yemen).
  • Show more

Video engineer vs audio technician skills

Common video engineer skills
  • MPEG, 6%
  • VOD, 6%
  • Video Equipment, 6%
  • Linux, 5%
  • Java, 4%
  • Windows, 4%
Common audio technician skills
  • Wireless Microphones, 13%
  • Video Equipment, 9%
  • Audio Systems, 8%
  • Live Events, 4%
  • Analog, 4%
  • AV, 3%

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