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Recording Arts Technology

Types of Degrees Recording Arts Technology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Recording Arts Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,357
Associate’s Degree	927
Bachelor’s Degree	393
Master’s Degree	969

What Recording Arts Technology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Recording Arts Technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Recording Arts Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Recording Arts Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Fine Arts — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Recording Arts Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Recording Arts Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Hearing Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Auditory Attention — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Recording Arts Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	3.8 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Recording Arts Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Adobe Audition	Music or sound editing software	—
Avid Technology Pro Tools	Music or sound editing software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Cisco IOS	Operating system software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software	Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Recording Arts Technology graduates include:

• DJ (Disk Jockey)
• Disc Jockey (DJ)
• Wedding Disc Jockey (Wedding DJ)
• Entertainer
• Event Entertainer
• Host DJ (Host Disc Jockey)
• Emcee
• DJ Assistant (Disc Jockey Assistant)
• Mobile Disc Jockey (Mobile DJ)
• Karaoke Host
• Master of Ceremonies (MC)
• Event Host
• Event Disc Jockey (Event DJ)
• Public Address Announcer
• Deejay (DJ)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Recording Arts Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	32.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	28.3%
Postsecondary certificate	19.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	11.6%
Some college courses	4.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.9%
First professional degree	1.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Recording Arts Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 82.5% of Recording Arts Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	640	17.5%
Men	3,018	82.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Recording Arts Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,511	41.3%
Asian	110	3.0%
Hispanic or Latino	983	26.9%
Black or African American	692	18.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	26	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Two or More Races	182	5.0%
Race Unknown	69	1.9%
International Students	81	2.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Recording Arts Technology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Recording Arts Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$20,139
4 years	$28,273
5 years	$32,523

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,523 — roughly 61% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Recording Arts Technology Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Recording Arts Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	6	6
Bachelor’s	2	0
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Recording Arts Technology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Recording Arts Technology graduates earn a median of $28,273 four years after completion — about 26% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians	10.02
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Other	10.0299
Photographic and Film/Video Technology/Technician	10.0201
Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician	10.0202
Voice Writing Technology/Technician	10.0204
Communications Technology/Technician	10.0105

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.