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.
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Broadcast Technicians. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $31,390 | $15.09 |
| 25th | $40,320 | $19.38 |
| 50th · Median | $59,570 | $28.64 |
| 75th | $83,520 | $40.16 |
| 90th | $123,670 | $59.46 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
Expand more title examples (44)
Typical tasks
- 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.
Expand more tasks (22)
- Monitor and log transmitter readings.
- Regulate the fidelity, brightness, and contrast of video transmissions, using video console control panels.
- Select sources from which programming will be received or through which programming will be transmitted.
- Install broadcast equipment, troubleshoot equipment problems, and perform maintenance or minor repairs, using hand tools.
- Preview scheduled programs to ensure that signals are functioning and programs are ready for transmission.
- Record sound onto tape or film for radio or television, checking its quality and making adjustments where necessary.
- Substitute programs in cases where signals fail.
- Align antennae with receiving dishes to obtain the clearest signal for transmission of broadcasts from field locations.
- Design and modify equipment to employer specifications.
- Edit broadcast material electronically, using computers.
- Organize recording sessions and prepare areas, such as radio booths and television stations, for recording.
- Determine the number, type, and approximate location of microphones needed for best sound recording or transmission quality, and position them appropriately.
- Set up and operate portable field transmission equipment outside the studio.
- Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission.
- Produce graphics for broadcasts.
- Give technical directions to other personnel during filming.
- Schedule programming or read television programming logs to determine which programs are to be recorded or aired.
- Instruct trainees in use of television production equipment, filming of events, and copying and editing graphics or sound onto videotape.
- Develop budgets.
- Discuss production requirements with clients.
- Produce educational and training films and videotapes by performing activities, such as selecting equipment and preparing scripts.
- Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content.
Skills used in this work
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Expand more skills (29)
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
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