The average salary for an audio engineer in the United States is around $73,130 per year.
Avg Salary
Audio engineers earn an average yearly salary of $73,130.
Wages typically start from $37,570 and go up to $137,370.
16% above national average Updated in 2025
Audio engineer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level audio engineer earnings begin at:
$66.04 per hour
$137,370 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level audio engineer earnings begin at:
$48.21 per hour
$100,280 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level audio engineer earnings begin at:
$35.16 per hour
$73,130 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level audio engineer earnings begin at:
$23.99 per hour
$49,910 per year
10th percentile
Starting level audio engineer earnings begin at:
$18.06 per hour
$37,570 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Audio engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $87,510 |
| Nevada | $84,570 |
| Maryland | $79,990 |
| California | $78,150 |
| Georgia | $77,010 |
| Kentucky | $74,100 |
| Illinois | $73,130 |
| Indiana | $73,130 |
| Washington | $72,970 |
| Connecticut | $72,800 |
| Florida | $70,360 |
| Arizona | $66,350 |
| New Hampshire | $65,630 |
| Ohio | $64,030 |
| Nebraska | $63,810 |
| Massachusetts | $63,250 |
| Kansas | $62,710 |
| Missouri | $61,750 |
| Colorado | $60,630 |
| Tennessee | $60,500 |
| Montana | $57,600 |
| Iowa | $57,400 |
| Louisiana | $55,530 |
| Idaho | $54,970 |
| Texas | $54,370 |
| Michigan | $51,840 |
| Virginia | $49,920 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,490 |
| North Carolina | $49,150 |
| Maine | $48,380 |
| Wisconsin | $46,780 |
| New Mexico | $45,690 |
| South Carolina | $45,240 |
| Arkansas | $45,130 |
| Minnesota | $43,030 |
| Hawaii | $42,230 |
| Oregon | $39,170 |
| Utah | $36,400 |
| Oklahoma | $35,050 |
| Alabama | $29,110 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,100 |
| New Jersey | $115,190 |
| District of Columbia | $106,630 |
How do audio engineer salaries compare to similar careers?
Audio engineers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than music teachers but more than DJs.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Music teacher salary | $79K |
| Online merchant salary | $83K |
| Industrial designer salary | $84K |
| Conductor salary | $74K |
| Composer salary | $74K |
| Audio engineer salary | $73K |
| Drafter salary | $66K |
| Graphic designer salary | $63K |
| Broadcast and sound engineering technician salary | $60K |
| DJ salary | $45K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)