SOC 27-4011

Audio and Video Technicians AI displacement risk

AI tools automate editing passes, switching, and audio cleanup in post-production. Live event work — rigging, mixing in real time, troubleshooting on site — plus system design and client-facing production support keep technicians busy.

Exposure56

Share and intensity of work current AI systems can materially affect.

Automation34%

Likely potential for exposed tasks to move to software after workflow integration.

Risk bandModerate

Post-production tasks automate faster than live production. Technicians anchored in live events, corporate AV, and venue systems face redesign of their editing workload rather than displacement of their physical craft.

Distribution

Where Audio and Video Technicians sits across 620 tracked roles

Audio and Video Technicians · 42050100

Displacement pressure 42 — higher than 70% of the 620 occupations tracked on displacement.ai.

Score version

This page uses Seed model v0.4 (seed-v0.4-2026-05), last reviewed 2026-08-08. Directional occupation-level planning model using hand-reviewed public research, task exposure estimates, wage context, and transition-pathway assumptions.

29 O*NET task statements matched to SOC 27-4011. The displayed task profile combines these official task statements with the current public score model.

Median wage context: $58,100 (May 2025, US national). The latest BLS row matched SOC 27-4011.

Scores are planning signals, not forecasts. Local hiring demand, employer-specific workflows, licensing, and credentials must be validated before making career decisions.

2030 economic stress test

How Anthropic's scenarios classify Audio and Video Technicians

SOC 27-4011 places this role in the paper's cognitive occupation group. These group-level outcomes do not change the 42/100 role score and are not an occupation forecast.

Modest change

+0.4% group wage

-0.5% cognitive employment since mid-2026; 2.9% cognitive unemployment.

Economy-wide: +1.6% GDP and 3.9% unemployment.

Substantial change

-0.3% group wage

-3.9% cognitive employment since mid-2026; 4.5% cognitive unemployment.

Economy-wide: +8.3% GDP and 4.6% unemployment.

Extreme change

-11.5% group wage

-21.5% cognitive employment since mid-2026; 17.9% cognitive unemployment.

Economy-wide: +32.4% GDP and 11.9% unemployment.

Compare the assumptions and limitations across all three scenarios. Source: The Anthropic Institute Working Paper No. 2026-02.

Official task evidence

O*NET task matches for Audio and Video Technicians

The current evidence import matched 29 task statements from Task Statements 31.0 (August 2026). These rows are used as a grounding layer for judging which parts of the occupation are repeatable, language-heavy, analytical, social, physical, or compliance-sensitive.

Dataset31.0 (August 2026)
Matched tasks29
SOC27-4011
  • Core task / ID 3980

    Notify supervisors when major equipment repairs are needed.

  • Core task / ID 18650

    Diagnose and resolve media system problems.

  • Core task / ID 3993

    Direct and coordinate activities of assistants and other personnel during production.

  • Core task / ID 3990

    Compress, digitize, duplicate, and store audio and video data.

  • Core task / ID 18649

    Install, adjust, and operate electronic equipment to record, edit, and transmit radio and television programs, motion pictures, video conferencing, or multimedia presentations.

  • Core task / ID 4002

    Control the lights and sound of events, such as live concerts, before and after performances, and during intermissions.

Source: O*NET Resource Center, Task Statements. Raw import target: data/raw/onet/task-statements-31-0.txt.

Task profile

Where AI changes the work

technical

Operate recording and transmission equipment

Exposure 48, automation 30%, augmentation 46%.

O*NET evidence: Install, adjust, and operate electronic equipment to record, edit, and transmit radio a... (ID 18649)

technical

Edit audio and video material

Exposure 70, automation 46%, augmentation 66%.

O*NET evidence: Record and edit audio material, such as movie soundtracks, using audio recording and ed... (ID 3997)

physical

Set up and position production equipment

Exposure 24, automation 10%, augmentation 28%.

O*NET evidence: Obtain, set up, and load videotapes for scheduled productions or broadcasts. (ID 3991)

technical

Diagnose and resolve system problems

Exposure 36, automation 15%, augmentation 54%.

O*NET evidence: Diagnose and resolve media system problems. (ID 18650)

TaskExposureAutomationAugmentation
Operate recording and transmission equipment4830%46%
Edit audio and video material7046%66%
Set up and position production equipment2410%28%
Diagnose and resolve system problems3615%54%

Transition pathways

Adjacent moves that preserve existing skills

credentialed transition

Broadcast Engineer

Training horizon: 6-12 months. Skill overlap 64. Wage preservation signal 122.

  • Learn transmission systems
  • Study IP video infrastructure
  • Own facility uptime
Moderate
role redesign

Live Events Technical Director

Training horizon: 3-6 months. Skill overlap 74. Wage preservation signal 116.

  • Run show calling
  • Design event AV systems
  • Lead production crews
Moderate

Comparison guides

Compare the next move before you commit

What the AI risk score means for Audio and Video Technicians

The displacement pressure score for Audio and Video Technicians is 42. That score blends task exposure, automation pressure, augmentation potential, wage vulnerability, transition feasibility, and source confidence. It is designed to help workers and workforce teams decide where to act first, not to claim a specific date when a job will disappear.

For this role, the clearest risk pattern is visible at the task level. Edit audio and video material carries 46% automation pressure, while Edit audio and video material carries 66% augmentation potential. That means the best response is usually a targeted redesign of work: move away from repeatable production tasks and toward judgment, exception handling, coordination, stakeholder context, and accountable use of AI tools.

Labor-market context and wage risk

Median wage: $58,100 (May 2025, US national). Employment context: Production support role spanning live events and broadcast. Typical education: Postsecondary certificate or associate degree common.

Wage vulnerability is 56, while transition feasibility is 66. A high wage-vulnerability score means workers should pay close attention to salary preservation before making a move. A high transition-feasibility score means there are adjacent paths that can reuse existing skills without requiring a complete career reset.

  • Moderate displacement pressure
  • Post-production automates first
  • Live event work stays physical

Upskilling priorities

Skills that make this role more resilient

The safest upskilling plan starts with skills already close to the work. For Audio and Video Technicians, the strongest near-term skill priorities are listed below. These are useful whether the goal is to stay in the role, move to a redesigned version of the role, or transition into an adjacent occupation.

Priority 1

Live production

Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.

Priority 2

AV system design

Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.

Priority 3

Editing software

Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.

Priority 4

On-site troubleshooting

Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.

90-day transition plan

The most practical next step is not to wait for a layoff or a full role redesign. Use the next 90 days to create evidence that you can operate in a safer, more AI-augmented version of the work.

  1. In the first 30 days, document the repetitive tasks in your current work and identify where AI can reduce drafting, lookup, classification, or reporting time.
  2. By 60 days, complete one small project connected to Broadcast Engineer, such as learn transmission systems.
  3. By 90 days, compare internal openings and external postings for Broadcast Engineer or Live Events Technical Director and update your resume around measurable workflow outcomes.

FAQ

Questions about AI and Audio and Video Technicians

Will AI replace Audio and Video Technicians?

AI tools automate editing passes, switching, and audio cleanup in post-production. Live event work — rigging, mixing in real time, troubleshooting on site — plus system design and client-facing production support keep technicians busy. The better planning signal is not full replacement, but which tasks become automated, which tasks become AI-assisted, and which responsibilities still need human judgment.

Which parts of Audio and Video Technicians work are most exposed to AI?

Edit audio and video material and Operate recording and transmission equipment show the strongest automation pressure in this model. Edit audio and video material and Diagnose and resolve system problems are better treated as AI-augmented work.

What should Audio and Video Technicians learn next?

Start with Live production, AV system design, Editing software. The most practical adjacent paths in this model are Broadcast Engineer and Live Events Technical Director.

How should this score be used?

Use it as a planning signal, not a prediction. Confirm local hiring demand, wages, licensing, credentials, and employer adoption before making a career move.

Sources

Evidence trail