Audio and Video Technicians
What Audio and Video Technicians Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 11%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.1/5
- Communications and Mediaimportance 4.1/5
- English Languageimportance 4.0/5
- Telecommunicationsimportance 3.7/5
- Fine Artsimportance 3.6/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.6/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.4/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.1/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8/5
- Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities4.7/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.6/5
- E-Mail4.6/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers91% skill match
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic91% skill match
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers91% skill match
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand91% skill match
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians90% skill match
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers90% skill match
- Highway Maintenance Workers89% skill match
- Bridge and Lock Tenders89% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.5/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.3/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Service Orientationimportance 3.1/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Adaptability
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Cooperation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- ArtisticMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where audio and video technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ7.37× national avg
- 2Salt Lake City-Murray, UT4.22× national avg
- 3Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL2.82× national avg
- 4Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT2.65× national avg
- 5Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV2.64× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Sound Engineering TechniciansLateral Move
- Commercial DiversCareer Change
- Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansCareer Change
- Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician
- Full Sail University (Winter Park, FL)grads earn ~$44,012
- SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville (Nashville, TN)grads earn ~$31,742
- Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences (Tempe, AZ)grads earn ~$37,556
- Florida Institute of Recording Sound and Technology (Orlando, FL)grads earn ~$33,711
- SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville (Nashville, TN)grads earn ~$33,379
Agricultural Communication/Journalism
- Oklahoma State University-Main Campus (Stillwater, OK)grads earn ~$52,747
- Texas A&M University-College Station (College Station, TX)grads earn ~$54,017
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI)grads earn ~$71,726
- Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX)grads earn ~$50,248
- The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)grads earn ~$58,999