How much does a broadcast technician make?

The median pay is $28.64 per hour — roughly $59,500 a year, with the real range running from about $15.09/hr (10th percentile) to $59.46/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a broadcast technician?

The typical entry-level education is: Associate degree. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

What does a broadcast technician actually do all day?

Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible. Monitor and log transmitter readings. Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission.

Arts & Media

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.

What it pays
Broadcast Technicians earn a median of $28.64/hr — about $59,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.09/hr; the top 10% earn $59.46/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible.
Monitor and log transmitter readings.
Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission.
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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Associate degree. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 12.6% of broadcast technicians are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, hands-on and analytical.

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Quick questions

How much does a broadcast technician make?: The median pay is $28.64 per hour — roughly $59,500 a year, with the real range running from about $15.09/hr (10th percentile) to $59.46/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a broadcast technician?: The typical entry-level education is: Associate degree. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
What does a broadcast technician actually do all day?: Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible. Monitor and log transmitter readings. Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.