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The national median salary for Broadcast Technicians is $53,914 per year ($25.92/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $36,899 and $80,392 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $115,398 per year. There are approximately 21,080 broadcast technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-2.8%
Slower than average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
25K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Associate's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations
NAICS 516100
9K
$44,870
Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers
NAICS 516200
6K
$57,410
Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 512100
2K
$79,460
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
1K
$64,650
Spectator Sports
NAICS 711200
860
$54,840
Wage range across top 5 industries: $44,870 to $79,460 (77% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$14.04
$29,203
P25
$17.74
$36,899
P50MEDIAN
$25.92
$53,914
P75
$38.65
$80,392
P90
$55.48
$115,398
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average broadcast technicians salary?
The national median salary for Broadcast Technicians is $53,914 per year ($25.92/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $36,899 and $80,392 annually.
How much do top-earning broadcast technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Broadcast Technicians is $115,398 per year ($55.48/hr). The 75th percentile is $80,392 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for broadcast technicians?
Entry-level Broadcast Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $29,203 per year ($14.04/hr). The 25th percentile is $36,899 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.