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Broadcast Technicians: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
2 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Broadcast Technicians, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 4,000 hours, for Audio Operator (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Operator | 0879 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| FIELD ENGINEER (Radio & TV) | 0960 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What broadcast technicians earn, by state
District of Columbia has the highest state median for broadcast technicians ($108,270) and West Virginia the lowest ($27,310), across the 48 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $108,270 | $52.05 | 290 |
| New Hampshire | $81,150 | $39.01 | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,470 | $38.69 | 950 |
| New York | $78,840 | $37.90 | 1,690 |
| Illinois | $74,210 | $35.68 | 690 |
| Colorado | $74,040 | $35.60 | 820 |
| Nevada | $73,070 | $35.13 | 280 |
| Arizona | $73,040 | $35.12 | 530 |
| California | $72,800 | $35.00 | 2,340 |
| Florida | $64,950 | $31.23 | 1,130 |
| Maryland | $64,030 | $30.79 | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $62,400 | $30.00 | 410 |
| Washington | $62,070 | $29.84 | 270 |
| Connecticut | $58,930 | $28.33 | 700 |
| Virginia | $57,940 | $27.86 | 710 |
| Maine | $55,110 | $26.49 | 90 |
| New Mexico | $49,990 | $24.03 | 80 |
| Rhode Island | $49,580 | $23.84 | 110 |
| Texas | $49,440 | $23.77 | 1,380 |
| Hawaii | $49,200 | $23.65 | 70 |
| Ohio | $48,720 | $23.43 | 430 |
| North Dakota | $48,090 | $23.12 | 80 |
| North Carolina | $47,780 | $22.97 | 580 |
| Michigan | $47,730 | $22.95 | 580 |
| Georgia | $47,340 | $22.76 | 440 |
| Tennessee | $47,340 | $22.76 | 400 |
| Alabama | $47,290 | $22.74 | 220 |
| Massachusetts | $47,260 | $22.72 | 560 |
| South Carolina | $46,860 | $22.53 | 210 |
| Iowa | $46,820 | $22.51 | 180 |
| Minnesota | $46,790 | $22.49 | 330 |
| Montana | $46,600 | $22.41 | 60 |
| Idaho | $44,730 | $21.50 | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $44,530 | $21.41 | 240 |
| Louisiana | $44,440 | $21.37 | 120 |
| Oregon | $44,420 | $21.36 | 220 |
| Indiana | $44,400 | $21.35 | 760 |
| Nebraska | $43,680 | $21.00 | 160 |
| Arkansas | $41,870 | $20.13 | 220 |
| Kansas | $41,600 | $20.00 | 90 |
| Missouri | $41,600 | $20.00 | 300 |
| Kentucky | $40,240 | $19.35 | 230 |
| Wyoming | $39,380 | $18.93 | 50 |
| South Dakota | $32,150 | $15.46 | 40 |
| Puerto Rico | $31,580 | $15.18 | 130 |
| Utah | $31,490 | $15.14 | 300 |
| Mississippi | $27,750 | $13.34 | 60 |
| West Virginia | $27,310 | $13.13 | 120 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).