Job Description - Broadcast Technician:
A broadcast technician set ups, operates and maintains equipment that regulates the signal strength, clarity, and the range of sounds and colors of radio or television broadcasts.
Employment Facts - Broadcast Technician:
There were 38,000 broadcast technicians employed in 2006.
Educational Requirements - Broadcast Technician:
To work as a broadcast technician one should have an associate degree in broadcast technology, electronics, or computer networking.
Other Requirements - Broadcast Technician:
A broadcast technician can become certified by the Society of Broadcast Engineers.
Advancement Opportunities - Broadcast Technician:
With experience, a broadcast technician can move into a supervisory position.
Job Outlook - Broadcast Technician:
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that growth in this field will be about as fast as average for all occupations through 2016.
Earnings - Broadcast Technician:
Median annual earnings of broadcast technicians were $32,230 in 2007.
Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much a broadcast technician currently earns in your city.
A Day in a Broadcast Technician's Life:
On a typical day a broadcast technician's tasks may include:
- Maintaining programming logs, as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission.
- Controlling audio equipment to regulate the volume and sound quality during radio and television broadcasts.
- Monitoring strength, clarity, and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals, and adjusting equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts.
- Regulating the fidelity, brightness, and contrast of video transmissions, using video console control panels.
- Observing monitors and communicating with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing.
- Selecting sources from which programming will be received, or through which programming will be transmitted.
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Broadcasting and Sound Engineering Technicians and Radio Operators, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos109.htm (visited February 19, 2009).
Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Broadcast Technicians, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/27-4012.00 (visited February 19, 2009).
Should You Become a Broadcast Technician? Take a Quiz to Find Out.
