Sound Technicians

ANZSCO ID 399516

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
3,000
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
61%
Female Share
8%
Average age
36

Summary

Sound Technicians operate audio equipment to record, enhance, mix and amplify sound in support of television, radio, film or video productions, or stage performances.

Specialisations: Audio Operator, Dubbing Machine Operator, Foley Artist, Re-recording Mixer, Sound Editor, Sound Effects Person, Sound Mixer, Sound Recordist, Video and Sound Recorder.

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Sound Technician. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or a university degree in audio visual studies or music industry.

Tasks

  • Sets up and adjusts equipment such as microphones, and operates sound mixing consoles and associated equipment to regulate volume and sound quality.

  • Selects and sets up television recording, editing and mixing equipment, and adjusts and monitors their operation.


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Performing Arts Technicians, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 61% of people employed as Sound Technicians work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 5 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 47 hours per week in their main job. This is 3 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Information Media and Telecommunications
41.9%
2
Arts and Recreation Services
14.0%
3
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
7.4%
4
Administrative and Support Services
6.6%
5
Other industries
21.6%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

37.5% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

29.8% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

14.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.5% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.2% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.9% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.8% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Sound Technicians All Jobs Average
NSW 37.5 31.6
VIC 29.8 25.6
QLD 14.0 20.0
SA 5.5 7.0
WA 9.5 10.8
TAS 1.2 2.0
NT 0.9 1.0
ACT 1.8 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
36
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
8%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Sound Technicians is 36 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 8% of the workforce. This is 40 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Sound Technicians All Jobs Average
15-19 2.5 5.0
20-24 13.9 9.3
25-34 31.0 22.9
35-44 21.7 22.0
45-54 17.6 21.6
55-59 6.3 9.0
60-64 4.6 6.0
65 and Over 2.4 4.2
Median Age 36 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Sound Technician. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or a university degree in audio visual studies or music industry.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Creative Arts and Culture VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Sound Technicians All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 4.0 10.1
Bachelor degree 26.0 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 22.7 11.6
Certificate III/IV 15.1 21.1
Year 12 22.0 18.1
Year 11 4.9 4.8
Year 10 and below 5.3 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Performing Arts Technicians who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 54%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 50%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 50%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 48%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 46%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 46%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 46%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 45%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 45%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 45%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 45%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 45%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 43%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 43%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 43%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 43%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 43%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 43%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 43%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 43%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 71%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 61%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 60%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 59%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 58%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 46%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 46%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 45%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 45%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 41%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 40%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 39%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 37%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 35%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 34%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 29%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 29%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 28%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 28%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 21%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 55%

    Hearing sensitivity

    Tell the difference between sounds.

  • 54%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 52%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 52%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 50%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 50%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 50%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 48%

    Auditory attention

    Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.

  • 48%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 48%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 48%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 48%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 46%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 46%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 45%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 45%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 45%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 45%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 41%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 81%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 78%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 76%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 69%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 69%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 67%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 66%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 63%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 63%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 62%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 60%

    Working with electronic equipment

    Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing electronic devices and equipment.

  • 59%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 59%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 58%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 54%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 53%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 53%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 52%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 52%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 45%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 71%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 52%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 48%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 38%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 86%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 81%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 76%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 69%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 67%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 43%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 97%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 95%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 95%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 92%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 92%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 91%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 90%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 90%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 89%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 86%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 86%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 85%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 85%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 83%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 83%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 81%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 75%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 75%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 67%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 67%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 27-4014.00 - Sound Engineering Technicians.


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