Also called: Studio Engineer, Tracking Engineer
Runs the microphones, mixing board, and recording software when musicians lay down songs.
A recording engineer places mics around a drum kit, adjusts levels as a band plays, and records take after take while the producer and artist decide what works. Sessions can run late into the night.
BLS sound engineering technicians: median roughly $60k; top studio and film mixers earn far more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 2 years after high school. Audio engineering program (2-year or 4-year) or apprenticing in a studio.
Ways in: 2-year college, 4-year college, Trade school, Self-taught. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Audio Engineering, Music Technology, Recording Arts.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). BLS projects slow-to-average growth for sound engineering technicians.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI cleanup and auto-mixing let artists record more at home; running live sessions with real musicians in a studio stays human.
Classes: Music (band, choir or orchestra), Audio or music technology, Physics (sound), Electronics.
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.