Designs everything an audience hears in a stage production, from the speaker system and microphones to sound effects and underscoring. BLS does not publish separate figures for audio and video technicians; it counts them within audio and video technician (SOC 27-4011), whose median pay is $58,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 27-4011
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Theatrical Sound Designer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $58,100a year, or $27.93/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $38KTop 10% $101K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.9%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 6,60087,600 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202587.6K
- Projected 203591.1K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 87.6K Projected 2035 91.1K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school25.1%
- Certificate19.9%
- Some college1.2%
- Associate's11.2%
- Bachelor's42.7%
Highest education held by audio and video technicians Segment Value High school 25.1% Certificate 19.9% Some college 1.2% Associate's 11.2% Bachelor's 42.7%
Also advertised as: Sound Designer (Theater), Theatre Sound Designer, Associate Sound Designer, Live Performance Sound Designer.
Pay
How much do Audio and Video Technicians make?
Every theatrical sound designer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$58,100
Middle half earn $46,390 to $77,560
- 10th
- $37,990
- 25th
- $46,390
- 75th
- $77,560
- 90th
- $100,650
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $37,990 |
| 25th | $46,390 |
| Median | $58,100 |
| 75th | $77,560 |
| 90th | $100,650 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $58,100
- Median hourly wage
- $27.93/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $64,630
- People employed
- 70,230
Versus all US occupations
At $58,100, Audio and Video Technicians earn 14% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $7,120 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 15% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $100,650 or more while the bottom 10% earn $37,990, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 30% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $78,770, and still leads at $71,674 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Audio and Video 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $78,770 | $71,674 | 830 |
| 2New Jersey | $71,040 | $65,291 | 2,280 |
| 3Maryland | $70,040 | $66,731 | 1,770 |
| 4Washington | $69,270 | $64,730 | 1,360 |
| 5New York | $67,600 | $62,638 | 7,990 |
| 6California | $64,620 | $58,363 | 9,280 |
| 7Rhode Island | $64,070 | $62,642 | 150 |
| 8Nevada | $62,770 | $62,783 | 1,580 |
| 9Connecticut | $62,120 | $59,956 | 820 |
| 10Alaska | $62,060 | $60,630 | 70 |
Job outlook
Is Theatrical Sound Designer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Audio and Video Technicians | +3.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Audio and Video Technicians to change 3.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 3,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 6,600 openings are projected each year, 7.5% of the 87,600 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Theatrical Sound Designer
Many sound designers hold a bachelor's or MFA in theater design or sound design from a university theater program. Training covers acoustics, audio systems, cue programming and script analysis, and a portfolio of produced shows matters more than grades.
People usually start running sound as an audio engineer or mixer for school, community and regional theaters, then assist established designers. On Broadway and at many major regional theaters, designers are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, which admits sound designers through an exam and portfolio review. The Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association offers resources and mentoring.
- 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 audio and video technicians.
- Bachelor's Degree42.7%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)25.1%
- Post-Secondary Certificate19.9%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree11.2%
- Some College Courses1.2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 42.7% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 25.1% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 19.9% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 11.2% |
| Some College Courses | 1.2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Theatrical Sound Designer do?
Theatrical sound designers create the sonic world of a play, musical, opera or dance piece. They read the script, meet with the director and design team, and decide where sound effects, ambience, transitions and music belong. For musicals they also design how singers and the band are amplified.
The job has a technical side. Designers specify speaker placement, wireless microphones and playback systems, then program cues in software such as QLab. During technical rehearsals they balance levels for each scene and adjust the system to the room. Many sound designers also compose original music for the plays they work on.
Day-to-day tasks
- Analyze scripts and meet with directors to plan the sound design
- Create or source sound effects, ambience and transition music
- Design speaker, microphone and playback system layouts
- Program sound cues in playback software such as QLab
- Balance levels and tune the system during technical rehearsals
- Compose original underscoring for some productions
- Prepare documentation so operators can run the show each night
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Design work begins in a home studio, then moves into theaters for technical rehearsals with long evening and weekend hours. Designers often juggle several productions at different theaters and travel for regional shows. Most work freelance, paid per production.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict 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
- Monitoring3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.5
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Active Listening3.1
- Writing3.1
- Speaking3.1
- Active Learning3.0
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.5 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 |
| Active Listening | 3.1 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Speaking | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.5
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Coordination3.1
- Service Orientation3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Operation and Control3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Systems Analysis3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.5 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video conferencing software · in demand
- Video creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing 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 Theatrical Sound Designer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ARI) built on O*NET's Audio and Video Technician profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Theatrical Sound Designer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
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 organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic5.3
- Conventional4.5
- Artistic4.1
- Investigative3.4
- Social2.0
- Enterprising1.9
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 Theatrical Sound Designer
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Camera Operator, Television, Video, and Film
$74,990median a year
Most earn $39K to $135K
+1.3%Bachelor's - Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Architecture and Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologist and Technician
$78,190median a year
Most earn $50K to $116K
+2.4%Associate's
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with audio and video technicians highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Theatrical Sound Designer$58,100
- 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 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Theatrical Sound Designer | $58,100 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Theatrical Sound Designer appears on
Questions
Theatrical Sound Designer: frequently asked questions
How much do Audio and Video Technicians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for audio and video technicians. It counts them within audio and video technician, whose median pay is $58,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $46,390 and $77,560, and the top 10% earn $100,650 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Theatrical Sound Designer?
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 Audio and Video 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, 42.7% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Theatrical Sound Designer a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.9% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 6,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Theatrical Sound Designer do?
Theatrical sound designers create the sonic world of a play, musical, opera or dance piece. A typical task: analyze scripts and meet with directors to plan the sound design. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Desktop publishing software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Audio and Video Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Audio and Video Technicians are District of Columbia ($78,770), New Jersey ($71,040), Maryland ($70,040) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Theatrical Sound Designer?
O*NET scores Audio and Video Technicians highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Artistic interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.