Career
Broadcast technicians
Keep radio and TV signals on the air.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Play and record broadcast programs, using automation systems.
- Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible.
- Set up, operate, and maintain broadcast station computers and networks.
- Observe monitors and converse with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing.
- Monitor strength, clarity, and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals, and adjust equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
AI
BLS now cites artificial intelligence in this occupation's outlook: “share decreases as technology including artificial intelligence (AI) allow technicians to perform more activities onsite and in remote locations.”
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on information & systems, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Play and record broadcast programs, using automation systems.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $59,570 a year and 1,600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Communications Technology/TechnicianCIP 10.0105
- Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/TechnicianCIP 10.0202
- Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, OtherCIP 10.0299
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Audio and Video Technicians$58,100 · +3.9%
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190 · +2.4%
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment$74,090 · +0.3%
- Robotics Technicians
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers$106,730 · +1.2%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.