Average Engineering Salary
Q: I'm relatively new to recording engineering. I've been interning for a year or so though now I'm finally starting to get paid. However, knowing that you start at the bottom and work your way up, $10 an hour seems pretty low. I fill in for the main engineer at the studio I've been interning with quite a bit, but can't seem to get them to pay me at least $20 per hour. What is the average rate engineers can expect to get? I know there are variables (different types of engineers etc.) but I need a bargaining tool here since I realize I don't know what the average rate really is. It seems a good idea to get an answer outside of the studio so I know what I'm talking about.
A: -A good friend of mine with mutli-platinum (engineering) credits got paid $10/hour for the duration of his last 5-year, house-engineering stint. We're talking a major American city with lots of competition, & no capital (financial or gear) on his part. He definitely got 5 year's worth of job security, though... -My advice: Study computer engineering or electrical engineering (where starting salaries straight out of school are better than $25/hr) and build your own studio up. In particular, if you get an electrical engineering degree, you can design recording equipment at your day job and run your own studio at night. Otherwise, you've got a lot of dues to pay.