Performs and records everyday sounds, such as footsteps, clothing rustle and prop handling, in sync with picture for film, TV and games. BLS does not publish separate figures for sound engineering technicians; it counts them within sound engineering technician (SOC 27-4014), whose median pay is $73,130 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 27-4014
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Foley Artist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $73,130a year, or $35.16/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $38KTop 10% $137K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -3.1%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−3.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −3.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,00015,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202515K
- Projected 203514.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 15K Projected 2035 14.6K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school32%
- Certificate20%
- Some college8%
- Associate's12%
- Bachelor's20%
- Post-master’s certificate4%
Highest education held by sound engineering technicians Segment Value High school 32% Certificate 20% Some college 8% Associate's 12% Bachelor's 20% Post-master’s certificate 4%
Also advertised as: Foley Walker, Foley Performer, Foley Mixer, Foley Editor.
Pay
How much do Sound Engineering Technicians make?
Every foley artist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$73,130
Middle half earn $49,910 to $100,280
- 10th
- $37,570
- 25th
- $49,910
- 75th
- $100,280
- 90th
- $137,370
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $37,570 |
| 25th | $49,910 |
| Median | $73,130 |
| 75th | $100,280 |
| 90th | $137,370 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $73,130
- Median hourly wage
- $35.16/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $81,390
- People employed
- 13,080
Versus all US occupations
At $73,130, Sound Engineering Technicians earn 43% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $22,150 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 7% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $137,370 or more while the bottom 10% earn $37,570, a gap of 3.7×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 47% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Jersey pays the most at $115,190, and still leads at $105,868 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Sound Engineering Technicians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Jersey | $115,190 | $105,868 | 290 |
| 2District of Columbia | $106,630 | $97,024 | 90 |
| 3New York | $87,510 | $81,087 | 2,050 |
| 4Nevada | $84,570 | $84,588 | 170 |
| 5Maryland | $79,990 | $76,211 | 160 |
| 6California | $78,150 | $70,583 | 4,060 |
| 7Georgia | $77,010 | $79,975 | 200 |
| 8Kentucky | $74,100 | $82,188 | 60 |
| 9Illinois | $73,130 | $73,161 | 570 |
| 10Indiana | $73,130 | $78,357 | 50 |
Job outlook
Is Foley Artist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -3.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sound Engineering Technicians | −3.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Sound Engineering Technicians to change -3.1% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 500 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,000 openings are projected each year, 6.7% of the 15,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Foley Artist
There is no license or degree requirement. Many Foley artists come from audio post-production, acting, dance or percussion, because timing and body control matter as much as technical knowledge. Film school or audio engineering programs give useful grounding in Pro Tools and post-production workflow, and some artists begin as Foley mixers, assistants or sound effects editors before moving to the stage.
The field is small and largely referral-based. People typically break in by apprenticing at a dedicated Foley studio or a post-production house, building a reel of synced work. In Los Angeles and New York much union post-production work falls under the Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700), and the Motion Picture Sound Editors honor Foley work in their annual Golden Reel Awards.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as sound engineering technicians.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)32%
- Post-Secondary Certificate20%
- Bachelor's Degree20%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree12%
- Some College Courses8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 32% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 20% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 20% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 12% |
| Some College Courses | 8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Foley Artist do?
Foley artists recreate the small physical sounds that production microphones miss or that need to be replaced for foreign-language dubbing. Standing on a Foley stage in front of a screen, they walk in different shoes across gravel, wood and concrete pits, crumple fabric, handle props and break vegetables, all timed to the actor's movements on screen.
They work alongside a Foley mixer who records each pass, and the tracks go to a Foley editor and then to the re-recording mixers who build the final soundtrack. Much of the craft lies in choosing the right object: a leather wallet for a horse's hoof, a staple gun for a pistol mechanism, a wet chamois for a punch. Artists build and maintain large collections of props and surfaces for this purpose.
Day-to-day tasks
- Watch picture and spot every movement that needs a Foley sound
- Perform footsteps in sync with on-screen actors using matched shoes and surfaces
- Record cloth, prop and body movement passes for each scene
- Select and adapt everyday objects to stand in for on-screen sounds
- Work with the Foley mixer to set microphone placement and levels
- Maintain a library of props, shoes and surface materials
- Prepare Foley tracks for international dubbing versions
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Work happens on an acoustically treated Foley stage with floor pits of different surfaces, prop shelves and a large screen. Sessions are mostly daytime studio hours, with crunch periods before a mix deadline. The work is physical: kneeling, walking in place, carrying props and repeating motions for hours, sometimes in water pits.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.6
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Writing3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Learning Strategies2.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Operation and Control3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Coordination3.1
- Service Orientation3.1
- Systems Analysis3.1
- Time Management3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Operation and Control | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- File versioning software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Foley Artist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ARC) built on O*NET's Sound Engineering Technician profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Foley Artist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 5 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
- Realistic5.2
- Artistic4.9
- Conventional4.4
- Investigative2.7
- Enterprising2.2
- Social1.7
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Foley Artist
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
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Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologist and Technician
$78,190median a year
Most earn $50K to $116K
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More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with sound engineering technicians highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Foley Artist$73,130
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Foley Artist | $73,130 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Foley Artist appears on
Questions
Foley Artist: frequently asked questions
How much do Sound Engineering Technicians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for sound engineering technicians. It counts them within sound engineering technician, whose median pay is $73,130 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $49,910 and $100,280, and the top 10% earn $137,370 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Foley Artist?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Sound Engineering Technicians. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 32.0% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Foley Artist a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 3.1% over 2025–2035, a loss of 500 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Foley Artist do?
Foley artists recreate the small physical sounds that production microphones miss or that need to be replaced for foreign-language dubbing. A typical task: watch picture and spot every movement that needs a Foley sound. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Desktop publishing software, Document management software.
Which states pay Sound Engineering Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Sound Engineering Technicians are New Jersey ($115,190), District of Columbia ($106,630), New York ($87,510) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Foley Artist?
O*NET scores Sound Engineering Technicians highest on the Realistic, Artistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISTP, INTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.