Hmmm...

I think the price ranges between 2 cases of Budweiser a year to 6 figures or more per year.

My studio grosses about $50K annually but has an operational budget of around $40K annually. Of course, some of that is salaries/wages.

2 cases of Budweiser a year

Is that one can at a time?? :shock:

Depends on who you're working for...
Religious projects...It's one beer at time of labor and maybe...eventually the other 23.

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.

Thomas W. Bethel wrote: ..... 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.

MUST....NOT...MAKE .... JOKE ... WILL...BE...BANNED...FROM...RECORDING.ORG...FOR ...LIFE....

....AND ...FULLY ...DESERVE...IT

What....like:

Was he by any chance 12 and like punch?

or....

There's a better way to get that kind of money from MJ...settle out of court.

Sorry...couldn't resist.

I make between 60K and 100K a year and NONE of it applies to recording.

I do, however , get a lot of very good Scotch......Single Malt, Highland bred....(dont like the peat) and MOST of it comes from recording.

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