Sound Engineering Technicians Salary
The median pay for a sound engineering technicians in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $57,400/year ($27.6/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $62,595 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 34.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About sound engineering technicians
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What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Pay for sound engineering technicians in Des Moines-West Des Moines runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $73K. Rent runs $1,318/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for sound engineering technicians in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $73K | $71K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $84K | $80K |
| St. Louis | $62K | $65K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $55K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level sound engineering technicians (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Sound Engineering Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Sound Engineering Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $115K | +58% | 290 |
| District of Columbia | $107K | +46% | 90 |
| New York | $88K | +20% | 2,050 |
| Nevada | $85K | +16% | 170 |
| Maryland | $80K | +9% | 160 |
| California | $78K | +7% | 4,060 |
| Georgia | $77K | +5% | 200 |
| Kentucky | $74K | +1% | 60 |
| Illinois | $73K | +0% | 570 |
| Indiana | $73K | +0% | 50 |
| Connecticut | $73K | -0% | 60 |
| Florida | $70K | -4% | 590 |
| Arizona | $66K | -9% | 130 |
| New Hampshire | $66K | -10% | 30 |
| Ohio | $64K | -12% | N/A |
| Nebraska | $64K | -13% | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $63K | -14% | 200 |
| Kansas | $63K | -14% | 30 |
| Missouri | $62K | -16% | 190 |
| Colorado | $61K | -17% | 170 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -17% | 510 |
| Montana | $58K | -21% | 50 |
| Iowa | $57K | -22% | 60 |
| Louisiana | $56K | -24% | N/A |
| Idaho | $55K | -25% | 40 |
| Texas | $54K | -26% | 830 |
| Michigan | $52K | -29% | 200 |
| Virginia | $50K | -32% | 120 |
| Pennsylvania | $49K | -32% | 160 |
| North Carolina | $49K | -33% | 170 |
| Maine | $48K | -34% | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | -36% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -38% | 50 |
| South Carolina | $45K | -38% | N/A |
| Utah | $36K | -50% | 210 |
Showing 1–10 of 35 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track sound engineering technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a sound engineering technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 34.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for sound engineering technicians in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sound engineering technicians typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,255/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 58% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is sound engineering technician a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $57K here vs. $73K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for sound engineering technicians?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — below the national median.
How much do sound engineering technicians make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $57,400 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,590, and experienced sound engineering technicians can clear $61,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,776/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 34.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a sound engineering technicians salary go in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median sound engineering technicians salary is worth about $62,595 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do sound engineering technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.