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ANZSCO 2113Skill level 2Creative and media

Sound engineer

Record, mix and master audio for live events, broadcast and post-production.

What a sound engineer actually does

Sound engineers split into three rough camps: live, studio and post. Live engineers turn up to a venue 3-5 hours before doors, load in, set up the PA, run lines, sound check the band, then mix front-of-house or monitors during the show. After the gig comes pack-down, often finishing past midnight. Studio engineers run multi-mic recording sessions, edit and comp takes, mix and master tracks, usually working the second half of the day and into the evening because that's when artists are awake and available. Post engineers (TV, film, podcast) work standard business hours mixing dialogue, doing sound design and mastering to broadcast loudness specs. Hours sit at 40-50 in normal weeks but stretch on festival and tour days (16+ hour calls are common) and on album mix deadlines. Income is patchy in the early years; most engineers freelance for the first 5-7 years before a staff role becomes possible.

Typical tasks

  • Operate live and studio mixing consoles.
  • Track and edit multi-microphone sessions.
  • Master final tracks for distribution.

Skills you'll use

  • Pro Tools, Logic Pro or another professional DAW
  • Live mixing on Yamaha, DiGiCo, Allen and Heath or Avid consoles
  • Microphone selection and placement
  • Signal flow, gain staging and live PA setup
  • Acoustic awareness (room treatment, monitoring)
  • EQ, compression, reverb and delay
  • Mastering to streaming and broadcast loudness specs
  • Patient communication with artists, directors and producers

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 12 (any subject mix, but Music, Physics and English help)
  2. 2Start recording, mixing and gigging in your school years with whatever gear you can get
  3. 3Complete a Diploma or Advanced Diploma of Sound Production at TAFE, JMC, AIM or SAE
  4. 4Alternatively, take an apprenticeship-style assistant role at a studio (the older traditional path) or live production company
  5. 5Build a portfolio of recordings, live mixes and credits while studying
  6. 6Start as a runner, stagehand or studio assistant after graduation; most pros worked unpaid or low-paid hours for 1-2 years
  7. 7Specialise after 3-5 years (FOH live, recording, post, broadcast, theatre) because senior roles are specialised

Where you can work

  • Recording studios (commercial and private)
  • Live production companies and PA hire firms
  • Theatre and musical-theatre venues (mid-week pit work)
  • Touring crews for Australian and international acts
  • Broadcast (ABC, SBS, Nine, Seven, Ten) audio booths
  • Post-production houses for TV and film
  • Game studios and podcast networks
  • Self-employed mix and mastering business from a home studio

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Assistant engineer
    0-3 years
    Typical roles: Studio assistant, Stage hand or runner, Patcher and monitor assistant
    Salary band: $50,000 - $60,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. Engineer
    4-9 years
    Typical roles: FOH engineer for touring acts, Recording and mix engineer, Post-production sound editor, Broadcast audio operator
    Salary band: $70,000 - $95,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Senior engineer or mixer
    10+ years
    Typical roles: Senior recording or mix engineer, Mastering engineer, Senior FOH for major touring acts, Re-recording mixer for film, Studio owner

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You have a strong ear and care about the detail of recorded sound
  • You can run a 24-hour day on a festival and stay calm
  • You're technically minded and enjoy debugging gear and signal flow
  • You can work in a service role behind an artist without needing the spotlight
  • You're comfortable with patchy early income and long unpaid apprentice years

This might not suit you if

  • You want a Monday-to-Friday 9-to-5 with predictable income
  • You hate being quiet and behind-the-scenes while someone else gets the credit
  • You can't deal with late nights and weekend gigs
  • You don't have patience for the slow seniority climb in studios and tours
  • You expect strong starting pay (the entry rungs are low)

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for sound engineer. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

No direct undergraduate pathway. Consider postgraduate study after a related bachelor degree.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Not an apprenticeship trade.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.