Studio Engineer Job Description & Qualifications

Studio engineers lay the sounds that make up your favorite songs and movies scores. From choosing the right recording equipment to mixing final tracks, studio engineers, also known as recording engineers or sound engineering technicians, oversee the entire recording process. Studio engineering is a competitive field with little job growth: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 1 percent job growth between 2010 and 2020, as broadcasting stations consolidate and improving technology fosters slower growth.


Before recording begins, engineers talk with producers and performers about the desired production sounds. They prepare for live recording sessions, placing microphones and other recording equipment and using computers to program equipment. They then record speech and music, or reproduce or copy sound recordings. For recordings made for movies, videos or TV shows, studio engineers synchronize dialogue, music and sound effects with visuals. With music with instruments and vocals recorded separately, they combine sounds during mixing or postproduction.


Studio engineers are responsible for maintaining equipment. They keep records of the gear used in specific recordings. They also set up and take down special equipment for sessions, and they report equipment problems such as broken kit components or defunct electronic circuitry. They either make repairs themselves, or they follow up to make sure a technician completes the fixes.


Studio engineers choose careers in a variety of sectors. Nearly a quarter worked in radio or TV studios as of 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ten percent worked in the motion picture and video industries. Another 10 percent were employed with performing arts or sports venues. Studio engineers typically work with on-air talent, musicians or actors.


Most studio engineers have a postsecondary education. Thirty-one percent have a high school diploma or GED, while 31 percent have some college education, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Another 22 percent have an associate degree in audio or sound engineering. Aspiring studio engineers in high school should take math, physics, electronics and computer courses, and join the school’s audiovisual club. Post-high school programs usually take less than a year to complete, and include courses in console operation, acoustics, electronics, track programming, recording and studio design and etiquette. Students also learn to operate software for mixing and production. Before they can take on their own projects, new engineers typically need to work under an experienced producer. Most employers do not mandate certification, but earning credentials through groups such as the Society of Broadcast Engineers or the Audio Engineering Society can indicate that an engineer is current on new technologies.


Communications skills help studio engineers discuss equipment setups and client needs with managers and colleagues. Because they use electronic systems to program equipment and edit audio and video recordings, engineers must have computer skills. Operating small knobs, dials and other console controls, as well as setting up equipment, calls for manual dexterity. Technical skills and the ability to solve problems are essential as well, because engineers must troubleshoot when equipment malfunctions or breaks, in addition to finding ways to correct sound problems.