Best degree programs for Broadcast Technicians, ranked by enrollment
3 college programs and 131 schools train Broadcast Technicians. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $59,570 median wage, 21,110 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
3 college programs at 131 schools train broadcast technicians, graduating 3,368 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician. The job pays a median of $59,570 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About broadcast technicians
Set up, operate, and maintain the electronic equipment used to acquire, edit, and transmit audio and video for radio or television programs. Control and adjust incoming and outgoing broadcast signals to regulate sound volume, signal strength, and signal clarity. Operate satellite, microwave, or other transmitter equipment to broadcast radio or television programs.
In broadcast engineering, a broadcast technician is a professional responsible for the maintenance and operation of equipment used to record and transmit radio and television programs. They work with television cameras, microphones, tape recorders, light and sound effects, transmitters, antennas, and other equipment.
Read more on Wikipedia →Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
3 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 10.0202 | 1,488 | 44.2% | 84 | $21,634 | $20,000 |
| 2 | Communications Technology/Technicianmain feeder CIP 10.0105 | 1,039 | 30.8% | 41 | $24,790 | $13,494 |
| 3 | CIP 10.0299 | 841 | 25.0% | 17 | $21,634 | $20,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What broadcast technicians earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $64,950 | 1,130 | 0.84× | 22 | 1,468 |
| Texas | $49,440 | 1,380 | 0.72× | 7 | 220 |
| New York | $78,840 | 1,690 | 1.28× | 11 | 180 |
| Tennesseelimited | $47,340 | 400 | 0.89× | 2 | 124 |
| New Jersey | — | 790 | 1.36× | 5 | 114 |
| South Carolinamoderate | $46,860 | 210 | 0.66× | 4 | 114 |
| Maryland | $64,030 | 460 | 1.24× | 5 | 108 |
| North Carolina | $47,780 | 580 | 0.87× | 8 | 88 |
| Ohio | $48,720 | 430 | 0.57× | 8 | 80 |
| Pennsylvaniamoderate | $80,470 | 950 | 1.15× | 4 | 72 |
| Georgialimited | $47,340 | 440 | 0.66× | 1 | 71 |
| Louisianalimited | $44,440 | 120 | 0.46× | 1 | 52 |
| Missourimoderate | $41,600 | 300 | 0.75× | 3 | 49 |
| Alabamalimited | $47,290 | 220 | 0.76× | 2 | 40 |
| Mississippimoderate | $27,750 | 60 | 0.38× | 3 | 40 |
| Oklahomamoderate | $44,530 | 240 | 1.03× | 4 | 39 |
| Californialimited | $72,800 | 2,340 | 0.95× | 1 | 30 |
| Nebraskalimited | $43,680 | 160 | 1.18× | 1 | 28 |
| Iowalimited | $46,820 | 180 | 0.83× | 2 | 27 |
| Massachusettsmoderate | $47,260 | 560 | 1.14× | 4 | 27 |
| Coloradomoderate | $74,040 | 820 | 2.11× | 3 | 22 |
| Michigan | $47,730 | 580 | 0.98× | 5 | 17 |
| Kansaslimited | $41,600 | 90 | 0.47× | 1 | 14 |
| Minnesotalimited | $46,790 | 330 | 0.83× | 2 | 14 |
| Oregonlimited | $44,420 | 220 | 0.82× | 1 | 14 |
| Wisconsinlimited | $62,400 | 410 | 1.02× | 2 | 13 |
| Connecticutlimited | $58,930 | 700 | 3.04× | 1 | 10 |
| North Dakotalimited | $48,090 | 80 | 1.45× | 1 | 10 |
| Washingtonlimited | $62,070 | 270 | 0.57× | 1 | 9 |
| Illinoislimited | $74,210 | 690 | 0.83× | 2 | 8 |
| Indianalimited | $44,400 | 760 | 1.76× | 1 | 6 |
| Virginialimited | $57,940 | 710 | 1.27× | 2 | 6 |
| Utahlimited | $31,490 | 300 | 1.27× | 1 | 2 |
| Arizonalimited | $73,040 | 530 | 1.20× | 1 | 1 |
| Mainelimited | $55,110 | 90 | 1.05× | 1 | 1 |
| Montanalimited | $46,600 | 60 | 0.83× | 1 | 1 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $49,580 | 110 | 1.64× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible.
- Monitor and log transmitter readings.
- Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission.
- Monitor strength, clarity, and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals, and adjust equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts.
- Observe monitors and converse with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing.
- Preview scheduled programs to ensure that signals are functioning and programs are ready for transmission.
- Play and record broadcast programs, using automation systems.
- Set up, operate, and maintain broadcast station computers and networks.
Skills
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Listening3.6
- Monitoring3.5
- Writing3.3
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Speaking3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Learning Strategies2.9
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics4.5
- Telecommunications4.2
- Engineering and Technology3.8
- Communications and Media3.5
- English Language3.5
- Design2.8
Abilities
- Near Vision3.9
- Written Comprehension3.6
- Oral Comprehension3.6
- Problem Sensitivity3.6
- Information Ordering3.3
- Deductive Reasoning3.3
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.6
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.3
- Getting Information4.2
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.1
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.1
- Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment3.9
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Broadcast Technician
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Broadcast Technicians3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 10.0105Communications Technology/Technician
- 10.0202Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician
- 10.0299Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Other
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Broadcast Technician?+
Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician, which awarded 1,488 degrees in 2024-25, 44.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Broadcast Technician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Communications Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 3,368 people a year.
How much do broadcast technicians earn?+
The median is $59,570 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $31,390 at the 10th percentile to $123,670 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for broadcast technicians growing?+
BLS projects a -2.8% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 1,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
131 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do broadcast technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Board Operator, Control Operator, Broadcast Engineer, Broadcast Technician among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-4012.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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