Sound Engineering Technicians Salary
The median pay for a sound engineering technicians in Virginia is $49,920/year ($24/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $105K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $52,664 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 48.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Virginia. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $50K get you in Virginia?
About sound engineering technicians
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What this looks like in Virginia
Pay for sound engineering technicians in Virginia runs about 32% below the U.S. median of $73K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 49.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level sound engineering technicians (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $105K or more, a $78K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track sound engineering technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a sound engineering technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 49.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sound engineering technicians typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,615/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 102% 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 Virginia?
Local pay runs 32% below the national median — $50K here vs. $73K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for sound engineering technicians?
Virginia pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $73K — that’s -32%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do sound engineering technicians make in Virginia?
The median is $49,920 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,910, and experienced sound engineering technicians can clear $105,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,316/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 49.6% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $52,664 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.