Audio Engineer
Your role as an audio engineer could include recording music for television, films, and albums. Recording dialogue and special effects for television and movies is also another big part of the job.
What the job looks like
Salary expectation
starts at $39,108 up to $72,013+
The good
- Each day is different
- Working with extremely talented and hardworking people
- Working across all types of music genres
- Seeing an artist happy with the final product
- Learning more and progressing in the industry
The not so good
- Can be hard at times with long hours
- Doing some routine tasks like getting coffee and cleaning
- Working outdoors in variable weather conditions
Everyday is a new day with different clients. Sometimes you could be working on jazz, classical or rock albums.
Other times you could be doing an orchestral score, followed by creating and recording special sound effects for a commercial or film.
You will be using a lot of technical equipment and preparing for sessions each day so you will need to stay organised.
Maths will help you keep track of appointments, deadlines and working within a certain budget.
Good English skills will be essential when communicating with clients either in emails or over the phone.
You will also need good spelling to ensure the dialogue you are recording makes sense.
Recording music is more my life than it is my job.
Pathways to this career
Subject suggestions for the HSC
Choosing your HSC subjects from this list could really help with your career. Think carefully about what you want to study after school as you might need to choose specific HSC subjects for that course and to count towards your ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank). An ATAR is your academic rank in relation to other HSC students and helps with University admission.
HSC subjects
Some subjects will count towards your ATAR, others will not. Check with your career advisor before making subject selections.
- English (Standard or higher)
- Mathematics (General 2 or higher)
- Music
- Software Design and Development
- Information Technology
- VET Entertainment Industry
What can I do after I have finished school?
University degrees
Studying one of these degrees can help with your career.
- Bachelor of Sound and Music Design
- Bachelor of Creative Technologies
Courses and qualifications
Courses and qualifications can give you a great start.
- Diploma of Audio Engineering and Sound Production
Suggestions
Check out Audio Engineering Society for more information
- Do some work experience at a local radio station or theatre groups to make some contacts and learn more about the industry
- Go to career expos and events like university Open Days for information about what you will study
