overseeing all operations in the studio. Others may become freelance engineers. There is a lot of money to be made in the freelance business. Often times, large record labels, top groups, and producers will seek out reputable, successful engineers and sometimes really good engineers will receive a share of royalties, (as well as the producer). Another possible option is to become an engineer-producer, maybe with your own private studio, where you are the engineer as well as the producer of your projects. The employment outlook in the recording industry is limited to fair chances of employment in the field. This is due largely in part to the limited number of studios versus the number of trained students. The fast growth pace of the technology in the industry places increasingly greater demands for entry-level employment. Competition in the engineering field is very high. Jobs are in small number, and more and more people have access to appropriate education for entry into the field.The annual income of an audio engineer can range from $12,000 at an entry-level position to upwards of $125,000+ for top positions. Remember too that successful freelance engineering is very lucrative. Not only can the reputable freelance demand higher pay, but may also share in the royalties of a particularly successful project. There a few things that one needs to consider before choosing to pursue a career in audio engineering. A recording engineer often has to work long, irregular hours. An engineer must also be able to work well under extreme pressure. It also helps if the engineer has a good musical ear, as well as an appreciation of music. Naturally, it helps to be fairly adept technically and electronically. If you feel like this is you, and you can handle working for a long time without reward (hopefully not too long), then a career in audio engineering could be for you....
