Broadcast Technicians
What Broadcast Technicians Do
Set up, operate, and maintain the electronic equipment used to acquire, edit, and transmit audio and video for radio or television programs. Control and adjust incoming and outgoing broadcast signals to regulate sound volume, signal strength, and signal clarity. Operate satellite, microwave, or other transmitter equipment to broadcast radio or television programs.
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
- 12.6%
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 4.5/5
- Telecommunicationsimportance 4.2/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.8/5
- Communications and Mediaimportance 3.5/5
- English Languageimportance 3.5/5
- Designimportance 2.8/5
- Mathematicsimportance 2.8/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.7/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail5.0/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled5.0/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
- Telephone Conversations4.6/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
- Contact With Others4.2/5
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.
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic90% skill match
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators89% skill match
- Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic88% skill match
- Print Binding and Finishing Workers88% skill match
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic88% skill match
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic88% skill match
- Machinists88% skill match
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic87% 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
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 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
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Adaptability
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- ConventionalHigh
- RealisticMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
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 broadcast technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT4.73× national avg
- 2South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI3.75× national avg
- 3Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO3.20× national avg
- 4Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN2.68× national avg
- 5Lincoln, NE2.37× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Nuclear TechniciansCareer Change
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler OperatorsCareer Change
- MachinistsCareer Change
- Semiconductor Processing 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
Communications Technology/Technician
- Full Sail University (Winter Park, FL)
- Full Sail University (Winter Park, FL)grads earn ~$36,898
- Pellissippi State Community College (Knoxville, TN)grads earn ~$40,105
- Florida State College at Jacksonville (Jacksonville, FL)
- East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (East Stroudsburg, PA)grads earn ~$39,273