AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 27-4014.00

Will AI replace Sound Engineering Technicians?

Sound Engineering Technicians: AI can already handle 1 of 14 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 14 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Sound Engineering Technicians, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Convert video and audio recordings into digital formats for editing or archiving. 65 Observed Frontier 3.6
Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.8
Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.8
Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.6
Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage. 30 Estimated Standard 4.6
Set up, test, and adjust recording equipment for recording sessions and live performances. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.6
Prepare for recording sessions by performing such activities as selecting and setting up microphones. 30 Estimated Standard 4.5
Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards. 30 Estimated Standard 4.4
Keep logs of recordings. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Tear down equipment after event completion. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Synchronize and equalize prerecorded dialogue, music, and sound effects with visual action of motion pictures or television productions, using control consoles. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Reproduce and duplicate sound recordings from original recording media, using sound editing and duplication equipment. 30 Estimated Standard 3.8
Create musical instrument digital interface programs for music projects, commercials, or film postproduction. 30 Estimated Standard 3.1
Report equipment problems and ensure that required repairs are made. 20 Estimated Standard 4.5

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 14 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 13 of 14. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A standard-tier model or lower covers 94% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
13,080
Median annual wage
$73,130
Middle half of earners
$49,910 to $100,280
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-1.7%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Sound Engineering Technicians and AI

Will AI replace Sound Engineering Technicians?

AI already handles 1 of the 14 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 31 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -1.7% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Sound Engineering Technicians?

31 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 14 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 13 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Sound Engineering Technicians tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Convert video and audio recordings into digital formats for editing or archiving. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 94% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Sound Engineering Technicians, and what do they earn?

13,080 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $73,130 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -1.7% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Sound Engineering Technicians. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/sound-engineering-technicians

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