Also called: Sound Utility, Cable Person
Assists the sound team by wiring actors with hidden mics, running cables, and managing batteries.
A sound utility tech tapes tiny lavalier mics inside actors' shirts, swaps batteries between takes, and runs a second boom for wide shots.
Approximate, based on IATSE local rate cards and typical weeks worked; freelance crew income depends on how much work they book.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Entry-level role in the sound department.
Ways in: On-the-job training, 2-year college. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Audio Engineering.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). Tracks sound technician demand.
Low risk for 10 years. Better wireless mics help, but hiding mics on actors, running cables and swapping batteries stays hands-on.
Classes: Electronics, Theater tech crew, Audio technology, Film/video production CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-4014.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.