A sound engineer is a media specialist who works on the technical side of things and arranges the various technical aspects of audio recording and amplification. Sound engineers are commonly employed by theaters and concert organizations, as well as recording studios, to work on their audio equipment and prepare it for the recording sessions, optimizing it to the needs of the client. Sound engineers are typically tasked with achieving a particular style for the sound they’re working on, and must commonly coordinate their actions with the producer or other engineers on the job.
Getting hired as a sound engineer takes, understandably, a degree in audio engineering. In some cases, one can get the job with just a degree in engineering that semi-related to audio engineering – for example, anything that involves a good deal of signals and electronics – though of course employers commonly prefer candidates who’re proficient in the particular field of sound engineering.
Like most other engineers, sound engineers earn very well, with an average annual salary of around $90,000 – $105,000. Even though the job can pay somewhat lowly for the effort involved in some isolated cases, it still offers good, flexible working hours and other attractive conditions which frequently attract new sound engineers and keep the market well-saturated. And with the high rate of demands regularly going for talented sound engineers, it’s certainly not difficult for someone experienced to find a good job with strong skills.