Sound Engineering Technicians Salary
The median pay for a sound engineering technicians in Memphis, TN-MS-AR is $48,050/year ($23.1/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.18), which stretches that salary to about $52,126 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,274/month, about 36.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Memphis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Memphis’s Regional Price Parity (92.18). 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 Memphis
Pay for sound engineering technicians in Memphis runs about 34% below the U.S. median of $73K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,274/month, which is 37.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.18 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for sound engineering technicianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for sound engineering technicians in metros near Memphis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $71K | $74K |
| Knoxville | $46K | $50K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $87K | $87K |
| St. Louis | $62K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Entry-level sound engineering technicians (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $44K 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 Memphis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a sound engineering technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Memphis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 37.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,274/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Memphis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sound engineering technicians typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,578/month. At HUD’s $1,274/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Memphis?
Local pay runs 34% below the national median — $48K here vs. $73K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Memphis compare to the national average for sound engineering technicians?
Memphis pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s -34%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do sound engineering technicians make in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?
The median is $48,050 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,970, and experienced sound engineering technicians can clear $87,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Memphis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,387/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,274/month, which eats 37.6% 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 Memphis?
Memphis has a Regional Price Parity of 92.18 (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 $52,126 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.