SalaryExplorer

SOC 27-4014 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Sound Engineering Technicians — Houston

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX · 2 metro areas compared

$61,920 /year
$29.77per hour
140jobs in area
−15.3%vs US median

The median wage for Sound Engineering Technicians in Houston, TX is $61,920 per year, 15.3% below the national median of $73,130.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $73,13010TH$33,79025TH$39,600MEDIAN$61,92090TH$79,160

How pay has moved

$65,543$43,80820192020202120222025$61,920
$51,330 in 2019 to $61,920 in 2025, +20.6% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to decline

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
-1.7%
Openings per year
1,200
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

12.0% of people in this occupation work for themselves.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Sound Engineering Technicians in Houston, TX is $61,920 per year, 15.3% below the national median of $73,130. Half of workers earn between $39,600 and $73,980. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $33,790 and the ninetieth at $79,160.

Employment stands at 140, or 0.0 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Austin records the highest median at $63,440. Of the 699 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 315th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$33,790−53.8%
25th$39,600−45.8%
Median (50th)$61,920−15.3%
75th$73,980+1.2%
90th$79,160+8.2%
Mean$57,550−21.3%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Texas

Median annual wage for Sound Engineering Technicians, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Austin$63,440150
2San Antonio$61,74040

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Houston sit close to the national average, so $61,920 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.

Published median

$61,920as reported by BLS

Local price level

98.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$62,799US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $61,920 a year, 15.3% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $33,790 to $79,160 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 140 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Austin, at $63,440.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Sound Engineering Technicians in Houston, TX?

The median annual wage is $61,920, or $29.77 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $73,130, so pay in Houston, TX is 15.3% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Houston, TX earns more than $79,160 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $33,790 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Austin, at $63,440 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 140 jobs in this occupation in Houston, TX. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.