Often handed to AI
Task areas most often handled directively in observed AI conversations — candidates to delegate with light review.
- Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content. · 0.5%
Broadcast Technicians
Occupation · SOC 27-4012.00
Set up, operate, and maintain the electronic equipment used to acquire, edit, and transmit audio and video for radio or television programs. Control and adjust incoming and outgoing broadcast signals to regulate sound volume, signal strength, and signal clarity. Operate satellite, microwave, or other transmitter equipment to broadcast radio or television programs.
Also called: Board Operator · Broadcast Engineer · Broadcast Technician · Control Operator · Audio Engineer · Broadcast Maintenance Engineer · Broadcast Operations Engineer · Production Engineer · Audio Operator · Broadcast Operations Technician · Color Technician · Control Engineer
Job family: Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-27-4012-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Keep a human in the loop
Task areas where a human was still judged necessary in a large share of observed conversations — not a safety ruling, an observed-need signal.
- Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content. · 93.6% need a human
Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Declining employment outlook (-2.8% by 2034)
- 1,800 openings/yr
- Moderate AI exposure
- Observed AI use leans automation
- Median pay $53,920/yr
- Can largely be done remotely (teleworkable)
- Both the 2013 computerization estimate and today's AI exposure rank this high
51st-percentile task overlap — yet about 1,800 openings a year (-2.8% projected, BLS), and observed AI use leans 3617% copilot, not hand-off (AEI) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate | 51st | 0.1 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate | 60th | 0.8 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Moderate | 46th | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.3), with simple added tooling (β 0.5), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.8). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
Most of this job's tasks can be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman), which tends to track with higher digital and AI exposure.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.7 · 60th percentile among occupations · Moderate
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content. | 3.6% | |
| Edit broadcast material electronically, using computers. | 0.3% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Declining · -2.8% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 1,800 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 24,800 → 24,200 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Broadcast Technicians sits at the 65th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
35% mean task exposure (2025)
65th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−1 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Broadcasting and Audio-visual Technicians · 3521 | 35% | Minimal |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Working with AI in this job
How people actually apply AI to this occupation's tasks, from Claude.ai (Free and Pro) conversations in the Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15. This is one AI assistant's consumer sample — not all AI, not the whole workforce. Autonomy and the collaboration mix are model-rated estimates; figures below the sample floor are hidden.
| Augmentation vs. automation | 36.2% working with AI · 53.2% handed to AI |
| Most common way people use AI here | Directive · AI does it; you give the instruction |
| Typical AI autonomy | 3.0 / 5 · higher = AI acts more independently |
| Used for work (vs. personal / coursework) | 83.0% |
What people delegate to AI
The role's most common tasks in AI conversations, each tagged with how people work with the AI on it. “Usage” is the share of observed conversations, not of the job.
| Task | How | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content. | Directive | 0.5% |
Where a human is still needed
Tasks where the model most often judged that a person remained necessary — a useful read on the current boundary, not a guarantee.
| Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content. | 93.6% |
What people most often hand AI here
Example prompts phrased from the tasks people most often delegate to AI in this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index). Each shows the underlying measured task and its share of observed AI use. They are suggested phrasings of real tasks — starting points, not endorsed instructions.
-
Help me prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content.From: Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content. · 0.5% of measured AI use · directive
Tasks
All 29 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible. Core · importance 4.5
- Monitor and log transmitter readings. Core · importance 4.4
- Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission. Core · importance 4.4
- Monitor strength, clarity, and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals, and adjust equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts. Core · importance 4.4
- Observe monitors and converse with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing. Core · importance 4.4
- Preview scheduled programs to ensure that signals are functioning and programs are ready for transmission. Core · importance 4.3
- Play and record broadcast programs, using automation systems. Core · importance 4.2
- Set up, operate, and maintain broadcast station computers and networks. Core · importance 4.1
- Record sound onto tape or film for radio or television, checking its quality and making adjustments where necessary. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Schedule programming or read television programming logs to determine which programs are to be recorded or aired. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Select sources from which programming will be received or through which programming will be transmitted. Core · importance 4.0
- Install broadcast equipment, troubleshoot equipment problems, and perform maintenance or minor repairs, using hand tools. Core · importance 4.0
- Edit broadcast material electronically, using computers. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Develop employee work schedules. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Substitute programs in cases where signals fail. Core · importance 4.0
- Control audio equipment to regulate volume and sound quality during radio and television broadcasts. Core · importance 4.0
- Design and modify equipment to employer specifications. Core · importance 3.8
- Instruct trainees in use of television production equipment, filming of events, and copying and editing graphics or sound onto videotape. Supplemental · importance 3.8
- Align antennae with receiving dishes to obtain the clearest signal for transmission of broadcasts from field locations. Supplemental · importance 3.7
- Regulate the fidelity, brightness, and contrast of video transmissions, using video console control panels. Supplemental · importance 3.6
- Make commercial dubs. Supplemental · importance 3.6
- Determine the number, type, and approximate location of microphones needed for best sound recording or transmission quality, and position them appropriately. Supplemental · importance 3.6
- Organize recording sessions and prepare areas, such as radio booths and television stations, for recording. Supplemental · importance 3.5
- Set up and operate portable field transmission equipment outside the studio. Supplemental · importance 3.5
- Give technical directions to other personnel during filming. Supplemental · importance 3.4
- Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content. Supplemental · importance 3.4
- Discuss production requirements with clients. Supplemental · importance 3.1
- Produce educational and training films and videotapes by performing activities, such as selecting equipment and preparing scripts. Supplemental
- Produce graphics for broadcasts. Supplemental
Emerging tasks
Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.
- Develop budgets.
Work activities
- Maintain logs of production activities.
- Operate communications, transmissions, or broadcasting equipment.
- Maintain recording or broadcasting equipment.
- Coordinate activities of production personnel.
- Operate control consoles for sound, lighting or video.
- Monitor broadcasting operations to ensure proper functioning.
- Notify others of equipment problems.
- Operate audio recording equipment.
- Direct productions or performances.
- Train others on work processes.
- Read materials to determine needed actions.
- Schedule operational activities.
- Edit audio or video recordings.
- Determine technical requirements of productions or projects.
- Design tools, fixtures, or other devices for production equipment.
- Design electrical equipment or systems.
- Confer with clients to determine needs.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| Computers and Electronics | 4.5 | |
| Telecommunications | 4.2 | |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.8 | |
| Communications and Media | 3.5 | |
| English Language | 3.5 |
Abilities
| Near Vision | 3.9 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.6 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.6 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.6 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.3 | |
| Written Expression | 3.3 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.3 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.3 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.1 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.1 | |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.1 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.1 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.1 | |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.0 | |
| Originality | 3.0 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.0 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.0 | |
| Visualization | 3.0 |
Essential skills
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | |
| Active Listening | 3.6 | |
| Monitoring | 3.5 | |
| Writing | 3.3 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Speaking | 3.1 | |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
Transferable skills
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Showing the top 40 of 47.
Tools & technology
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Typical entry-level education
- Associate's degree · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Preparation level
- SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 43.4% | |
| Some College Courses | 26.6% | |
| High School Diploma | 17.4% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 10.2% | |
| Bachelor's Degree | 2.4% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Interest areas
| Mechanics/Electronics | 5.6 | |
| Media | 4.7 | |
| Engineering | 4.0 | |
| Information Technology | 3.9 | |
| Physical/Manual Labor | 2.0 | |
| Music | 1.9 |
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Conventional | 5.1 | |
| Realistic | 4.8 | |
| Investigative | 3.0 | |
| Artistic | 2.8 | |
| Enterprising | 2.5 | |
| Social | 2.1 |
Work styles
| Dependability | 2.6 | |
| Attention to Detail | 2.5 | |
| Cautiousness | 1.8 | |
| Integrity | 1.7 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $29,190 |
| 25th percentile | $36,900 |
| Median (50th) | $53,920 |
| 75th percentile | $80,390 |
| 90th percentile | $115,400 |
| People employed | 21,080 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Information · Sector | 16,640 | $49,840 |
| Television Broadcasting Stations · National industry | 4,830 | $50,250 |
| Radio Broadcasting Stations · National industry | 3,850 | $35,720 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation · Sector | 1,460 | $66,470 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 1,270 | $64,590 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 640 | $45,660 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 120 | $77,020 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector | 120 | $51,900 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 110 | $77,020 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 60 | $75,720 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector | 50 | $40,850 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters · National industry | 50 | $75,670 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Television Broadcasting Stations · National industry | 544.18× | 4,830 |
| Radio Broadcasting Stations · National industry | 543.84× | 3,850 |
| Information · Sector | 41.86× | 16,640 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation · Sector | 4.04× | 1,460 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 0.68× | 1,270 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 0.43× | 640 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 0.3× | 110 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector | 0.2× | 120 |
Related occupations
Part of the Arts, Entertainment, & Design career cluster.
- Audio and Video Technicians · 27-4011.00 Compare →
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians · 17-3023.00 Compare →
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment · 49-2094.00 Compare →
- Robotics Technicians · 17-3024.01 Compare →
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers · 51-8012.00 Compare →
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians · 17-3028.00 Compare →
- Sound Engineering Technicians · 27-4014.00 Compare →
- Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers · 49-2097.00 Compare →
- Lighting Technicians · 27-4015.00 Compare →
- Telecommunications Engineering Specialists · 15-1241.01 Compare →
- Media Technical Directors/Managers · 27-2012.05 Compare →
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer · 17-2072.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Broadcast Technicians — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- Associate's degree · typical entry level
- Job zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 65th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Broadcast Technicians show 51st-percentile AI task overlap — and about 1,800 annual U.S. openings
- Broadcast Technicians rank in the 51st percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 1,800 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be declining (-2.8%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $53,920, across about 21,080 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
- Of the AI use actually observed for this work, 36% looks like augmentation (drafting, iterating, checking) rather than hands-off automation — from a Claude.ai usage sample, not a census.2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2
Copy the whole kit
Broadcast Technicians show 51st-percentile AI task overlap — and about 1,800 annual U.S. openings • Broadcast Technicians rank in the 51st percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 1,800 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be declining (-2.8%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $53,920, across about 21,080 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) • Of the AI use actually observed for this work, 36% looks like augmentation (drafting, iterating, checking) rather than hands-off automation — from a Claude.ai usage sample, not a census. (2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2) Source: Singulariki — "Broadcast Technicians". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-4012-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Broadcast Technicians." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-4012-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Broadcast Technicians. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-4012-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-27-4012-00,
title = {Broadcast Technicians},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-4012-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.