Audio-visual Technician

Typical Salary

£18,000 To £36,000

Typical Hours

39 to 41 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays attending events or appointments

How To Become a Audio-visual Technician

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role

College / University

There is no set entry route to become an audio-visual technician but it may be useful to do a college course like:

Level 2 Technical Diploma in Digital Audio and Visual Production
Level 3 Diploma in Creative Media Production
Level 3 Certificate in Technical Theatre: Sound, Light and Stage

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You could get into this job through a creative venue technician or live event technician advanced apprenticeship.

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start as an assistant technician and work your way up. Experience and qualifications in broadcast and sound technology, or electronics, would be useful.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

knowledge of media production and communication
broadcasting and telecommunications knowledge
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
to be flexible and open to change
the ability to work on your own
excellent verbal communication skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties might include:

setting up and testing equipment
finding and dealing with faults
operating equipment during rehearsals, peformances and events
checking and servicing equipment
managing equipment bookings
training other people in how to use equipment
carrying out safety checks on AV equipment for organisations or venues

Working Environment

You could work at a college, at a university or at a conference centre.

Your working environment may be physically demanding.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could manage an audio-visual department, specialise in lighting or sound design, or become an events manager. You could also move into equipment and services sales.

You could work self-employed or freelance, for example installing audio-visual equipment in people's homes.

Volunteering Opportunities

You could volunteer with a charity, college or theatre group to get experience of setting up and running audio-visual technology and software.

Tips & Information

Career tips

Employers value experience, so it would improve your chances of finding work if you've got experience of setting up and using audio, visual and computer technology.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join organisations like PLASA or the Production Services Association, for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about audio-visual careers and training from ScreenSkills.

You can also find out more about working in the creative industries from Discover Creative Careers.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.