Skip to main content

how much $$ do professional studio engineer makes a year?

anonymous
Submitted by anonymous on Thu, 08/23/2007 - 10:03

Hello everyone. now this may be somewhat of a "taboo" topic...but I'm very curious an no one can seem to give me a figure. I was wondering how much, on average, a professional studio engineer makes a year. Any ballpark figures would be nice...I know it depends on may factors...but just humor me. Thanks. (if any actual professional engineers wouldn't mind sharing, that would be great)

Tags

Comments

Thomas W. Bethel
Wavelab
Thomas W. Bethel

Cucco is correct, There are some engineers who do audio for fun and some who make quite a decent living off of it. I read the stats from the US GOV and it said the "Average" audio engineer earns between $23,000 and $43,000 per year. Here is the website http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos109.htm#earnings

You get paid what you are worth and how much you are worth depends on how good you are at your profession. I know engineers that are taking home less than minimum wage for their concert sound work but they love to do it so it is more of a hobby than a real job. I also know some touring audio engineers that are getting in the high $60 to $80,000 for their work. Full time professors who have a PHD or Masters in audio or a related field can make very good money and have lots of benefits. A roadie working for a touring act is lucky to be working at all and may make $200 per week plus a per Diem and transportation. If you are the boy friend of the lead singer of the group and are also their audio engineer all bets are off and you could be making a couple of thou a week. My best friend's wife's brother was Michael Jackson's personal manager (nothing to do with audio). He was paid 1 million a year PLUS expenses.

Thu, 08/23/2007 - 15:23 Permalink
Profile picture for user Brian_Holmes
Brian_Holmes

Recording Engineer's Income

This is quite easy to answer.

Most so called 'recording engineers' make zero. ie work for free. The very lucky ones (i.e. .01 % of all recording engineers) are lucky to make about $5/hr. And only part time.

The dozen or so world's top engineers make about $15/hr, and only part time.

Most recording engineers are broke and unemployed. If they have been suckered in to paying $50,000 or more for a (completely useless) so called 'qualification' as a recording engineer from Full Sail, Trebas, etc, they will be essentially personally bankrupt as well as being un-employable.

Studios are now charging about the same as they were 20 years ago, that is, the ones that haven't gone broke yet. The few that remain have less income than 20 years ago, but 10 times the expenses.

Do the math.

Being a full time 'recording engineer' is a quite a few steps income wise below McDonalds burger jockey or security guard, with no benefits and no future.

If you really want to become a recording engineer, find out if you have a trust fund from your parents to live from. If not, forget it.

Brian

Wed, 12/23/2009 - 16:58 Permalink