Part-time Sound Technician pay?

[ncrawford3]

I oversee the volunteer media ministry at my church. We are planning to outsource our board operator position to a skilled technician. What is the going rate for a part-time sound technician to perform live mixing for contemporary Sunday services and mid-week services (7-8 hrs per week)? Any ideas would be appreciated!

[tdangelo]

What size church? What size PA? What city? What experience level? Are the 7-8 hours all occuring continuous in one day or are spread out over many days. Does the FOH PA audio guy also needs to mix monitors or are the monitors handled by the musicians or a seperate audio guy?

In the New York City market a professional FOH audio guy can make as much as $750 for a 8 hour day (non-union, concert environment). If the hours were spread out it would likely be 1/2 day rates x as many days as the hours fall on, with the 1/2 rate being as much as $500.

All that said there are guys in this (NYC) market who will work for $200 per day and $100 per 1/2 day ... very much depending on his skill level and desire to work that project.

Considering the cost of living in the NY / NJ / CT tri-state area and assuming you don't need a "A" list guy, I think about $100 per service may be about right.

[ncrawford3]

tdangelo, thx for input
church size is 300-400, dallas market, 5 hrs sunday - 2 hrs Wed, monitors mixed from FOH position, equipment is 4 mains, 2 subs, 4 stage weges, in-ears for band, 32 ch console...
I was thinking around $125/wk for those 2 services... is that unreasonable, considering church's limited budget?

[cmchamp]

FWIW, I charge $60/hour and my market isn't anywhere near the size of the Dallas/Ft Worth area.

[ncrawford3]

thx cmchamp
I will just have to trust God to send the right person at the right rate for us.

[KeckCreative]

I'm just guessing, but I bet your looking more for operator consistency and peace of mind that somebody who at least knows how to work a board will be there to cover the job. $125 may not get you a fully skilled technician, but it should attract an enthusiast. So while you may not get someone with tons of experience, having a reliable team player with a good ear for live mixing will still be beneficial.

[tdangelo]

Originally Posted by cmchamp

FWIW, I charge $60/hour and my market isn't anywhere near the size of the Dallas/Ft Worth area.

Your comment reminded me of a conversation I had with an audio guy I was about to hire. He wanted more than I wanted to pay. When I tried to negotiate the rate down he responded, “My plumber charges $75 per hour to fix my toilet. I easily know as much about audio as he knows about plumbing.” I didn’t like the answer but respected it.

[Rock316]

Would it be better to spend the money on good Audio training for 4 to 6 people that will make a commitment to stay. and also there a few Audio Training DVD's out there...

In His Word
David

[WORDpictures]

You just described my church job... except you're in quite a different market in terms of pay scale. As a video freelancer otherwise, I can't expect professional level pay in audio, but I've provided the consistent quality and reliability this church needed (and of course, I do have training & experience) - it's been a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Just wanted to suggest you think outside the box in considering who the right person or right approach might be. Whereas I, for example, appreciate being paid for something I would be doing as a volunteer otherwise, guys who work with audio through their regular jobs can burn out quickly with double duty at low pay rates through working a church on the side. Not generalizing, but saying I've seen it.

Point is to pray God leads you in the right direction. Regardless, you want someone or the several people who will see this as their ministry and not just a job. The heart is always more important than the dollars - that's what will make it work in the end.

[ccw]

You might try to find a student at one of the "media schools" around you. A quick Google search reveals there is at least one school you could draw from: mediatech[dot]edu

[Gracetech]

Being in the Dallas Market i can tell you what to expect. We currently pay our sound tech $150 to run sound for our 3 services equaling 7 hours worth of time. If you happen to find a sound tech in your area i would expect you can find someone that would be willing to do it for that amount. Our tech is pretty skilled but not a long term solution, just a temporary one till i can get the volunteers trained. Most skilled techs that have to drive in will want around twice that amount.

crt

[Esoteric]

In the Dallas market, we currently charge $65/hr and we are one of the lowest priced options around. Most book out at $85/hr+. But we do 6 hour training sessions for up to 6 technicians for $750 or so.