Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media · Holland code CRI
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.
Also called: Board Operator, Broadcast Engineer, Broadcast Maintenance Engineer, Control Operator, Audio Engineer, Broadcast Operations Engineer, Broadcast Operations Technician (Broadcast Ops Tech), Broadcast Systems Support Engineer.
O*NET 27-4012.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $59,570
- Middle half earn $40,320 to $83,520. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Play and record broadcast programs, using automation systems.
- Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible.
- Set up, operate, and maintain broadcast station computers and networks.
- Observe monitors and converse with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing.
- Monitor strength, clarity, and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals, and adjust equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts.
- Control audio equipment to regulate volume and sound quality during radio and television broadcasts.
- Monitor and log transmitter readings.
- Regulate the fidelity, brightness, and contrast of video transmissions, using video console control panels.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Critical Thinking3.9 / 5
- Monitoring3.9 / 5
- Active Listening3.6 / 5
- Reading Comprehension3.3 / 5
- Writing3.1 / 5
- Active Learning3.1 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics5.0 / 5
- Communications and Media4.5 / 5
- Telecommunications4.5 / 5
- Engineering and Technology4.4 / 5
- English Language4.2 / 5
- Education and Training3.7 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic63
- Investigative33
- Artistic30
- Social19
- Enterprising25
- Conventional69
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- disc jockey · DE Diskjockey · FR disc-jockey
- audio-visual technician · DE Fachkraft AV-Medientechnik · FR technicien audiovisuel/technicienne audiovisuel
- boom operator · DE Tonassistent/Tonassistentin · FR perchiste
- sound operator · DE Soundtechniker/Soundtechnikerin · FR opérateur du son/opératrice du son
- video technician · DE Videotechniker/Videotechnikerin · FR technicien vidéo/technicienne vidéo
- recording studio technician · DE Studiotechniker/Studiotechnikerin · FR technicien en studio d’enregistrement/technicienne en studio d’enregistrement
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Computer system and equipment installers and servicers (5244)41,000 employed
- Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators (3417)81,300 employed
- TV, video and audio servicers and repairers (5243)7,300 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €50,992 |
| Austria | €46,986 |
| Germany | €44,473 |
| Netherlands | €42,448 |
| Ireland | €41,613 |
| Sweden | €41,155 |
| Italy | €34,882 |
| France | €34,816 |
| Spain | €29,757 |
| Portugal | €18,080 |
| Poland | €12,108 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.12. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (27-4012).
Related careers
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