Broadcast Technicians
Set up, operate, and maintain the electronic equipment used to acquire, edit, and transmit audio and video for radio or television programs. Control and adjust incoming and outgoing broadcast signals to regulate sound volume, signal strength, and signal clarity. Operate satellite, microwave, or other transmitter equipment to broadcast radio or television programs.
- Median pay
- $59,570
- Doing it now
- 24,100
- By 2035
- Down 3.1%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
a year
across the country
1,600 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission.
- Control audio equipment to regulate volume and sound quality during radio and television broadcasts.
- Monitor strength, clarity, and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals, and adjust equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts.
- Observe monitors and converse with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing.
- Preview scheduled programs to ensure that signals are functioning and programs are ready for transmission.
- Select sources from which programming will be received or through which programming will be transmitted.
- Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Audiovisual Communications Technologies/TechniciansSee 64 colleges that teach it
- Communications Technologies/TechniciansSee 14 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Organised and precise
Hands-on and practical
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $59,570 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.