Sound Engineering Technicians build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and operation and control skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (63%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment | 63% | $74,090 | +1% | None |
| 2 | Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | 62% | $82,890 | +13% | None |
| 3 | Media Technical Directors/Managers | 62% | $90,360Pay for the broader BLS group “Producers and Directors” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 60% | $74,510 | +2% | None |
| 5 | Prepress Technicians and Workers | 60% | $48,690 | −33% | None |
| 6 | Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers | 60% | $52,600 | −28% | None |
| 7 | Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 60% | $78,190 | +7% | None |
| 8 | Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists | 58% | $130,220Pay for the broader BLS group “Electronics Engineers, Except Computer” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 9 | Telecommunications Engineering Specialists | 58% | $134,050Pay for the broader BLS group “Computer Network Architects” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Photonics Technicians | 57% | $78,350Pay for the broader BLS group “Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other” | Not compared | None |
Compared with Sound Engineering Technicians, median $73,130. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as sound engineering technicians (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
63% skill match · $74,090 · +1% pay
Installation · Repairing · Equipment Maintenance
62% skill match · $82,890 · +13% pay
Operations Analysis · Quality Control Analysis · Installation
62% skill match · $90,360 (broader BLS group)
Coordination · Management of Personnel Resources · Operations Analysis
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (63% skill match, median $74,090), Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (62% skill match, median $82,890) and Media Technical Directors/Managers (62% skill match, median $90,360), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 9 pay more than sound engineering technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Power Distributors and Dispatchers (+46%, $106,730), Special Effects Artists and Animators (+40%, $102,030) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists (+31%, $95,480).
21 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.