Broadcast engineers are normally found working in television, radio or other types of broadcasting media, where they provide the staff with technical assistance, fix any problems that arise with the equipment, and sometimes operate the more sophisticated parts of the equipment. A broadcast engineer is also responsible for installing new equipment and in some cases teaching the staff how to properly use it. The broadcast engineer is normally heavily involved in the production of the media at hand, for example a broadcast engineer in an audio studio will often mix sound effects.
Becoming a broadcast engineer requires good education related to technology and electronics, and an engineering degree is often a must. A Bachelor’s in either communications technologies or electrical engineering is also beneficial. Every type of job that involves a broadcast engineer has its specific requirements and sets of skills that are usually learned as the job progresses. Broadcast engineers benefit highly from previous experience in the industry, and it’s not unusual for companies to do their best to retain their high-ranking engineers due to the skills they’ve attained over time.
Broadcast engineers, like most other types of engineers, are traditionally compensated very well, with the median salary for 2009 being $61,000. The demand for broadcast engineers has been on a steady rise for a few years now, as the increasing number of media broadcasters opens more job spots. Broadcast engineers can earn a high salary from the very beginning, most starting out at between $40,000 – $50,000 annually.