Audio and video technicians salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,990 | $18.26 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $58,100 | $27.93 |
| Mean (average) | $64,630 | $31.07 |
| 90th percentile | $100,650 | $48.39 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Audio and video technicians pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 50 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $50,160 | $23,660 | $80,090 | 320 | 0.34 |
| Alaska | $62,060 | $43,040 | $89,240 | 70 | 0.46 |
| Arizona | $47,140 | $37,910 | $75,390 | 1,340 | 0.92 |
| Arkansas | $43,910 | $31,780 | $78,190 | 150 | 0.25 |
| California | $64,620 | $39,950 | $120,690 | 9,280 | 1.13 |
| Colorado | $56,790 | $41,700 | $82,630 | 830 | 0.64 |
| Connecticut | $62,120 | $41,470 | $100,510 | 820 | 1.06 |
| Delaware | $59,700 | $48,370 | $78,760 | 130 | 0.57 |
| District of Columbia | $78,770 | $39,150 | $124,130 | 830 | 2.63 |
| Florida | $54,230 | $37,980 | $81,010 | 6,000 | 1.34 |
| Georgia | $51,350 | $39,470 | $104,730 | 1,630 | 0.74 |
| Hawaii | $60,150 | $35,380 | $84,260 | 430 | 1.52 |
| Idaho | $49,950 | $37,790 | $88,470 | 210 | 0.54 |
| Illinois | $60,740 | $31,200 | $108,610 | 3,020 | 1.1 |
| Indiana | $49,870 | $31,880 | $70,320 | 1,390 | 0.96 |
| Iowa | $51,030 | $35,980 | $77,910 | 290 | 0.41 |
| Kansas | $50,030 | $38,700 | $80,820 | 220 | 0.34 |
| Kentucky | $48,320 | $34,820 | $78,610 | 600 | 0.67 |
| Louisiana | $44,480 | $36,470 | $63,140 | 860 | 0.99 |
| Maine | $46,080 | $40,760 | $71,340 | 150 | 0.52 |
| Maryland | $70,040 | $47,720 | $102,300 | 1,770 | 1.42 |
| Michigan | $58,300 | $37,640 | $77,610 | 1,700 | 0.85 |
| Minnesota | $53,800 | $34,960 | $79,320 | 960 | 0.72 |
| Mississippi | $43,500 | $27,970 | $61,500 | 200 | 0.38 |
| Missouri | $50,680 | $37,830 | $85,150 | 1,370 | 1.03 |
| Montana | $46,700 | $37,660 | $65,370 | 140 | 0.61 |
| Nebraska | $50,660 | $35,380 | $76,690 | 290 | 0.64 |
| Nevada | $62,770 | $40,910 | $97,830 | 1,580 | 2.25 |
| New Hampshire | $56,180 | $34,560 | $81,950 | 170 | 0.54 |
| New Jersey | $71,040 | $47,320 | $106,780 | 2,280 | 1.18 |
| New Mexico | $47,070 | $26,260 | $62,090 | 420 | 1.07 |
| New York | $67,600 | $42,620 | $115,010 | 7,990 | 1.83 |
| North Carolina | $46,700 | $36,380 | $64,300 | 1,870 | 0.84 |
| North Dakota | $50,110 | $40,680 | $76,770 | 100 | 0.53 |
| Ohio | $49,890 | $37,110 | $79,590 | 1,430 | 0.57 |
| Oklahoma | $49,010 | $37,140 | $77,800 | 540 | 0.7 |
| Oregon | $52,000 | $36,550 | $80,340 | 630 | 0.71 |
| Pennsylvania | $56,890 | $38,590 | $93,080 | 3,080 | 1.12 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,860 | $21,840 | $47,250 | 280 | 0.65 |
| Rhode Island | $64,070 | $41,470 | $83,900 | 150 | 0.64 |
| South Carolina | $52,000 | $40,570 | $113,840 | 440 | 0.43 |
| Tennessee | $49,970 | $32,830 | $84,390 | 1,640 | 1.11 |
| Texas | $49,440 | $34,810 | $79,570 | 4,280 | 0.67 |
| Utah | $48,730 | $30,440 | $126,970 | 1,880 | 2.39 |
| Vermont | $51,500 | $35,070 | $82,890 | 170 | 1.23 |
| Virginia | $53,960 | $39,060 | $85,320 | 1,900 | 1.03 |
| Washington | $69,270 | $49,900 | $121,740 | 1,360 | 0.84 |
| West Virginia | $46,590 | $35,500 | $87,920 | 200 | 0.62 |
| Wisconsin | $51,390 | $36,440 | $82,230 | 760 | 0.57 |
| Wyoming | $49,680 | $47,870 | $69,140 | 50 | 0.4 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for audio and video technicians
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 6,600. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 10%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for audio and video technicians
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Agricultural Communication/Journalism CIP 01.0802
- Photographic and Film/Video Technology/Technician CIP 10.0201
- Recording Arts Technology/Technician CIP 10.0203
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Teams (in demand)
- Zoom (in demand)
- Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Cisco Webex (hot technology)
- Linux (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Adobe Dreamweaver
Transferable skills for career changers: Operations Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Operation and Control.
Common job titles: Audio Technician, Audio Visual Specialist (AV Specialist), AV Tech (Audio Visual Technician), Media Technician, Operations Technician, Stagehand, Video Technician.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do audio and video technicians make?
The national median annual wage for audio and video technicians was $58,100 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $37,990 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $100,650. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do audio and video technicians need?
BLS lists postsecondary nondegree award as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is audio and video technicians a growing career?
BLS projects employment of audio and video technicians to change +3.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 6,600 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay audio and video technicians the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($78,770), New Jersey ($71,040), Maryland ($70,040). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.