Sound Engineer
🎚️Records, mixes and masters sound for music, film, games and concerts, and runs the desk at live shows.
Prospects & pay
What the work is like
💼 Job market
🇺🇸 -3.1% jobs by 2035 · 1,000 openings a year
Sound Engineering Technicians — US: Census ACS 2020–24 (full-time), BLS projections 2025–35
🇬🇧 £32.6k median a year · 18,000 jobs
Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators — UK: ONS ASHE 2025 (full-time)
🤖 AI & automation
AI cleans noise, splits stems and auto-mixes; live concert sound and fine-grained work with artists stay with people.
Who it suits
Interests: ⚙️ Tech and engineering, 🎭 Music, theatre, dance, 📱 Media, content, advertising.
Key strengths: manual dexterity, logic, attention to detail.
Where to study
- Bachelor's BSc/BA Audio Engineering, Music Technology or Tonmeister (University of Surrey)
- Vocational BTEC / HND in Music Technology (UK), SAE Institute diploma
- Course Assisting in studios and on live crews
Key school subjects (A-level / IB / AP): Physics, Music, Maths.
🧗 A degree in audio engineering or music technology (e.g. Tonmeister at Surrey), or college and schools like SAE Institute. Then assistant work in studios or on live crews; hands-on show experience is valued.
Universities
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Royal Academy of Music London · €34.4k/yr
BMus £29,900 (2026/27); live or video audition via UCAS Conservatoires; scholarships awarded after audition - Royal College of Music London · €36k/yr
BMus £31,300 (2026/27, a government levy may be added); audition via UCAS Conservatoires - Royal Northern College of Music Manchester · €34.4k/yr
BMus £29,950 (2026/27); audition; English per college requirements
🇺🇸 United States
- The Juilliard School New York · €49.8k/yr
audition (pre-screen + live); English test for non-native speakers; performance level decides - Berklee College of Music Boston · €47k/yr
audition and interview; English test for non-native speakers; $27k per semester - Curtis Institute of Music Philadelphia · free
audition; every student gets a full-tuition scholarship; TOEFL 4 (new) / 79–80, IELTS 6.5–7
🇩🇪 Germany
- Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin Berlin · free
No tuition for any nationality (≈ €300 semester fee); entrance audition; German B2.2 for the bachelor's - University of Music and Performing Arts Munich Munich · free
No non-EU tuition; entrance exam (€50); German B1 for performance bachelor's, B2 for pedagogy - Cologne University of Music and Dance Cologne · free
No tuition (≈ €300-400 semester fee); entrance exam; German B2 / TestDaF 3, may be shown by end of 2nd semester
🇳🇱 Netherlands
- Conservatorium van Amsterdam Amsterdam
The audition (entrance exam) is decisive; taught in English * - Royal Conservatoire The Hague The Hague
The audition (entrance exam) is decisive; taught in English * - Codarts Rotterdam Rotterdam
Audition (music, dance, circus); taught in English *
🇫🇷 France
- Paris Conservatoire (CNSMDP) Paris
Entrance audition (concours); age limits by discipline; French * - Lyon Conservatoire (CNSMD de Lyon) Lyon
Entrance audition (concours); age limits by discipline; French * - CentraleSupélec Gif-sur-Yvette · €22k–44k/yr
English-taught bachelors (with McGill, CityUHK, ESSEC): IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 90, file + interview; engineering cycle via concours after CPGE
🇮🇹 Italy
- Milan Conservatory "Giuseppe Verdi" Milan
Audition (80%) + theory (20%); Italian B2 test (€50) before the audition; Universitaly pre-enrolment - Santa Cecilia Conservatory Rome
Audition and theory test; Italian test for foreigners; Universitaly pre-enrolment * - San Pietro a Majella Conservatory Naples
Audition and theory test; Italian test for foreigners; Universitaly pre-enrolment *
🇪🇸 Spain
- Reina Sofía School of Music Madrid
Audition; private foundation school, studies largely funded by scholarships * - Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) Barcelona · €1.5k/yr
Specialty entrance exam; €25.04/ECTS, no non-EU surcharge - Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid Madrid
Specialty entrance exam (Título Superior); Spanish *
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
- Academy of Performing Arts in Prague – Music and Dance Faculty (HAMU) Prague · free
Talent exams/portfolio; free in Czech (Czech ≈B2); English programmes charge fees, not checked * - Janáček Academy of Performing Arts (JAMU) Brno · free
Talent exams/portfolio; free in Czech (Czech ≈B2); English programmes charge fees, not checked * - University of Ostrava (Faculty of Fine Arts and Music) Ostrava · free
Talent exams/portfolio; free in Czech (Czech ≈B2); English programmes charge fees, not checked *
Things to know
🌙 Night shifts and on-call
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