Mostly Resilient
Last Update: 6/19/2026
AI Resilience Score for Audio/Video Technician:
54.4%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Med
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Med
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Med
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
There are a reasonable number of sources for this result, but there is some disagreement between them.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forAudio and Video Technicians
$54,830 median salary•7,300 annual openings•SOC Code: 27-4011.00
Audio and Video Technicians are somewhat more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 7 sources.
Audio and video technicians are labeled "Mostly Resilient" because while AI is taking over routine tasks like file compression, auto-captioning, and noise reduction, the hands-on, in-person work of rigging microphones, troubleshooting equipment, and running live events still requires a real human on site. Tools like AWS's Elemental Inference and systems like TV Cortex are designed to work alongside technicians, freeing them up for more creative and complex decisions rather than pushing them out of a job entirely.
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Audio and video technicians are labeled "Mostly Resilient" because while AI is taking over routine tasks like file compression, auto-captioning, and noise reduction, the hands-on, in-person work of rigging microphones, troubleshooting equipment, and running live events still requires a real human on site. Tools like AWS's Elemental Inference and systems like TV Cortex are designed to work alongside technicians, freeing them up for more creative and complex decisions rather than pushing them out of a job entirely.
Read full analysisAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Audio/Video Technician
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Audio/Video Technician jobs?
Right now, AI is mostly helping audio and video technicians rather than replacing them. At the 2026 NAB Show, the industry's biggest gathering, leaders said artificial intelligence is no longer a future-facing concept—it is embedded across production, post, distribution and newsroom workflows, with companies like Adobe, AWS, Microsoft, NVIDIA and Google Cloud demonstrating how AI is applied across the full content lifecycle. Examples shown on the floor included AWS's Elemental Inference tool that creates vertical video cuts using AI [1], and an agentic system called TV Cortex that, according to its maker, is intended to augment human productivity, not to replace it—freeing up producers and editors to focus on the creative aspects of news production.
Industry group SMPTE recently released an updated engineering report on AI in media [2] covering ethics, standards, and machine learning so technicians can integrate AI safely. Routine tasks like compressing files, auto-captioning, noise reduction, and quality control are increasingly automated, while the hands-on work of rigging mics, troubleshooting cables, and running live shows still needs people. Trade group AVIXA notes that in AV there's a desire to leverage AI so systems adapt in real time, streamline operations, and provide more intelligent, data-driven insights—again, alongside human operators.
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Audio/Video Technician?
Adoption is speeding up because tools are commercially available and cheap to try: Deloitte's 2026 TMT outlook [3] describes how media companies are racing to close the gap between AI's promise and real-world results. NAB reported that the show floor was almost doubling the number of AI exhibitors from 2025, including two AI Pavilions, signaling strong vendor competition that drives prices down. However, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics still projects employment for broadcast, sound, and video technicians to grow about 1 percent from 2024 to 2034, with about 11,100 openings projected each year on average—suggesting AI is reshaping tasks more than eliminating jobs [4].
Slowing factors include the physical nature of live events (someone still has to set up the speakers!), union and copyright concerns around AI-generated voices and images, and the trust issues NAB flagged around authenticity and content ownership. Event-production pros also caution that much of the AI hype doesn't yet match real workflow needs [5]. For young people entering this field, the encouraging takeaway is that human judgment, creativity, and on-site problem-solving—exactly the skills you build by actually working a show—remain the parts AI can't easily copy.
Sources
Will AI replace Audio/Video Technician?
No. We don't think AI will replace Audio and Video Technicians, though we do expect the job to change.
We give this career a 54.4% AI Resilience Score, meaning it holds up better than most. Right now, AI is mostly a helper. Routine tasks like file compression, auto-captioning, noise reduction, and quality control are increasingly automated, and tools shown at NAB 2026 include systems designed to augment human productivity rather than cut people out [1]. Media companies are racing to put these tools to work [3], so the pace of change is real.
What stays human is the physical, judgment-heavy side of the job: rigging microphones, troubleshooting cables, running live shows, and solving problems in the moment when something goes wrong on stage. Event production pros caution that a lot of AI hype still does not match real workflow needs [5]. Union concerns, copyright questions, and trust issues around authenticity are also slowing full automation.
The job market picture is modest but stable. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 11,100 openings per year on average through 2034 [4]. AI is reshaping tasks more than eliminating positions. If you build real on-site skills and stay curious about new tools, this career has a workable future.
Sources
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Latest AI news for Audio/Video Technician
These articles highlight the evolving role of audio and video technicians in an AI-driven industry. For instance, Nvidia's Jensen Huang discusses the rising demand for skilled tradespeople, hinting at lucrative opportunities in tech development. Additionally, insights on job disruption in entertainment jobs emphasize the importance of adaptability, as AI reshapes tasks in visual effects. By understanding these changes, students can develop resilience and position themselves for new roles that leverage AI while enhancing their creative skills in audio and video production.
Nvidia's Huang says AI boom will create 'six-figure salaries' for those building chip factories
www.cnbc.com • 1/22/2026
Nvidia's Jensen Huang and other leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos highlighted the importance of skilled trade work as AI...
Beyond the Hype: How AI is Redefining the Role of Stage Technicians
www.lightsoundjournal.com • 1/5/2026
In this article, we propose a brief reflection on the use of AI by professionals, technicians, and insiders in our industry.
Which entertainment jobs are most likely to be disrupted by AI? New study has answers
www.latimes.com • 1/30/2024
A new study estimates that 62000 entertainment jobs in California will be disrupted by artificial intelligence in the next three years.
The Hollywood Jobs Most at Risk From AI
www.hollywoodreporter.com • 1/30/2024
A new study finds that generative artificial intelligence poses a significant threat to workers in visual effects and other postproduction work in particular.
The Impact of Generative AI on Hollywood and Entertainment | Thomas H. Davenport and Randy Bean
sloanreview.mit.edu • 6/19/2023
New AI tools can produce text, audio, and images. What does that mean for creative professionals? Two experts weigh in.
More Career Info
Career: Audio and Video Technicians
They set up and operate sound and video equipment to ensure events, broadcasts, or recordings look and sound great.
Parent Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$54,830
Jobs (2024)
92,300
Growth (2024-34)
+3.3%
Annual Openings
7,300
Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Obtain, set up, and load videotapes for scheduled productions or broadcasts.
2
Control the lights and sound of events, such as live concerts, before and after performances, and during intermissions.
3
Plan and develop pre-production ideas into outlines, scripts, story boards, and graphics, using own ideas or specifications of assignments.
4
Perform minor repairs and routine cleaning of audio and video equipment.
5
Construct and position properties, sets, lighting equipment, and other equipment.
6
Diagnose and resolve media system problems.
7
Design layouts of audio and video equipment and perform upgrades and maintenance.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
