Occupation salary profile

Audio and Video Technicians

SOC 27-4011 BLS OEWS May 2025

Set up, maintain, and dismantle audio and video equipment, such as microphones, sound speakers, connecting wires and cables, sound and mixing boards, video cameras, video monitors and servers, and related electronic equipment for live or recorded events, such as concerts, meetings, conventions, presentations, podcasts, news conferences, and sporting events. Excludes “Sound Engineering Technicians” (27-4014), “Lighting Technicians” (27-4015), and “Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers” (49-2097).

National median · BLS
$58,100
▲ +5.96% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$64,630
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
70,230
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Audio and Video Technicians

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$37,990
25th$46,390
Median (50th)$58,100
75th$77,560
90th — top pay$100,650

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Audio and Video Technicians

BLS projects employment of audio and video technicians to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 6,600 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
87,600 → 91,100
+3,400 jobs
Projected change
+3.9%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
6,600
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
10% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a postsecondary certificate (nondegree award) →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Audio and Video Technicians

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Monitoring3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.5
  • Operations Monitoring3.5
  • Reading Comprehension3.5
  • Complex Problem Solving3.3
  • Active Listening3.1
  • Coordination3.1
  • Service Orientation3.1
  • Speaking3.1
  • Writing3.1
Top knowledge areas
  • Computers and Electronics4.1
  • Communications and Media4.1
  • English Language4.0
  • Telecommunications3.7
  • Fine Arts3.6
  • Engineering and Technology3.6
  • Customer and Personal Service3.4
  • Education and Training3.1
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareMicrosoft TeamsZoomAdobe After EffectsAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopCisco WebexLinuxMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordAdobe DreamweaverApple Final Cut ProApple iMovie

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What audio and video technicians do

  • Notify supervisors when major equipment repairs are needed.
  • Diagnose and resolve media system problems.
  • Direct and coordinate activities of assistants and other personnel during production.
  • Compress, digitize, duplicate, and store audio and video data.
  • Install, adjust, and operate electronic equipment to record, edit, and transmit radio and television programs, motion pictures, video conferencing, or multimedia presentations.
  • Control the lights and sound of events, such as live concerts, before and after performances, and during intermissions.
  • Switch sources of video input from one camera or studio to another, from film to live programming, or from network to local programming.
  • Record and edit audio material, such as movie soundtracks, using audio recording and editing equipment.
Also called
Audio Visual Specialist (AV Specialist)AV Tech (Audio Visual Technician)Media TechnicianOperations TechnicianAudio TechnicianStagehandVideo Technician
More job titles for this occupation (28)
Audio InstallerAudio Video TechnicianAudio Visual Communications Systems TechnicianAudio Visual Installer (AV Installer)AV Installation Tech (Audiovisual Installation Technician)AV Production Specialist (Audio Visual Production Specialist)AV Specialist (Audiovisual Specialist)AV Tech (Audiovisual Technician)Communications Equipment Operating TechnicianEvent AV Operator (Event Audio Visual Operator)Event Crew TechnicianEvent TechnicianLow Voltage Technician (Low Voltage Tech)Music, Sound, and Light TechnicianProjector OperatorService Technician (Service Tech)Sight Effects SpecialistSound ControllerStage TechnicianTheater TechnicianVideo Control OperatorVideo Equipment TechnicianVideo InstallerVideo OperatorVideo Production AssistantVideo Production SpecialistVideo Projection TechnicianVideo Teleconferencing Technician (VTC Tech)

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.