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Senior Audio Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

... a Senior Audio Systems Architect to set the technical direction for how audio is captured ... We are looking for someone who is a force multiplier - an engineer who has materially adopted AI ...

... engineers across the organization. This role serves as the senior steward of audio excellence, ensuring every title benefits from strong creative direction, consistent quality standards, and a ...

About This Role We are seeking a Sr Audio Intelligence Engineer to build conversational and audio AI experiences for the smart home. This role will develop real-time speech, audio understanding, and ...

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Senior Audio Engineer information

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$59.5K

$126.6K

$183.5K

How much do senior audio engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior audio engineer in the United States is $126,557.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $104,500.00 and $143,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a senior audio engineer do?

A Senior Audio Engineer is responsible for overseeing the recording, mixing, and mastering of audio for music, film, television, or live events. They manage technical aspects of sound production, lead teams of junior engineers, and ensure high-quality audio output. Their role often involves selecting equipment, troubleshooting sound issues, and collaborating closely with producers, artists, or directors to achieve the desired sound. With years of experience, they bring expertise in both creative and technical facets of audio engineering.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior audio engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Audio Engineer, you need advanced knowledge of audio recording, mixing, mastering, and acoustics, typically supported by a degree in audio engineering or a related field and several years of industry experience. Expertise with digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Pro Tools, mixing consoles, and various plug-ins and outboard gear is essential, and certifications such as Avid Pro Tools Certification can be advantageous. Exceptional problem-solving, communication, and project management skills help you collaborate effectively with artists, producers, and technical teams. These abilities ensure high-quality sound production, efficient workflow, and successful project outcomes in demanding audio environments.

How does a senior audio engineer typically collaborate with other departments during a production?

A Senior Audio Engineer works closely with various departments, such as directors, producers, video editors, and musicians, to ensure that all audio elements align with the overall vision of the project. This collaboration often involves participating in pre-production meetings to understand creative goals, offering technical guidance during recording sessions, and providing feedback during post-production mixing and mastering. Clear communication and a strong understanding of both creative and technical requirements are essential for ensuring seamless integration of audio with other media elements.

What is the difference between Senior Audio Engineer vs Audio Technician?

AspectSenior Audio EngineerAudio Technician
CredentialsBachelor's degree in audio engineering or related field; extensive experienceHigh school diploma or associate degree; specialized training or certification
Work EnvironmentRecording studios, live concert venues, film/TV productionEvent setups, live sound reinforcement, equipment maintenance
ResponsibilitiesDesigning audio systems, mixing, editing, supervising projectsSetting up equipment, troubleshooting, assisting with sound checks

The main difference is that Senior Audio Engineers typically have advanced education and oversee complex projects, while Audio Technicians focus on equipment setup and support tasks. Senior Audio Engineers often lead teams and handle creative aspects, whereas Audio Technicians support the technical execution.

Are senior audio engineers in high demand?

Senior audio engineers are in high demand due to the growth of the entertainment, media, and live event industries. Their expertise in recording, mixing, and mastering, along with proficiency in industry-standard software and equipment, makes them valuable in various settings such as studios, broadcasting, and post-production. The demand is expected to remain strong as audio quality continues to be a priority across media platforms.
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What cities are hiring for Senior Audio Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Senior Audio Engineer job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Audio Engineer jobs?

The most popular types of Audio Engineer jobs are:

What states have the most Senior Audio Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Senior Audio Engineer jobs include:

Infographic showing various Senior Audio Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $126,557 per year, or $60.8 per hour.

Senior Audio Systems Architect

Apple

Cupertino, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted yesterday


Apple rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 677 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7th of 30 rated technology retailers


Job description

Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, new insights have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. The Audio & Media Technologies group is at the center of audio for all of Apple's innovative products, including AirPods, HomePod, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. Sound is an essential and compelling facet of the customer experience, and we are looking for a Senior Audio Systems Architect to set the technical direction for how audio is captured, processed, routed, and rendered across the entire Apple product line.
Description
In this role you will own the end-to-end audio systems architecture spanning silicon, firmware, kernel drivers, and the user-space frameworks that power every Apple product. You'll partner deeply with silicon, EE, acoustics, ML, and framework teams to make the architectural calls that define audio on Apple platforms several years out - from clocking and DMA topology on next-generation SoCs, through secure firmware partitioning, all the way up to the APIs that third-party developers build on. This is a hands-on architect role: you'll prototype, write code, lead deep-dive investigations into systemic issues, and convert those findings into durable architectural fixes.
We are looking for someone who is a force multiplier - an engineer who has materially adopted AI-assisted engineering into their daily practice and can show concrete examples of where coding agents, LLM-driven analysis, and tool-calling workflows have changed how they work. You will be expected not only to use these tools fluently yourself, but to identify the highest-leverage workflows for the broader audio organization, prototype them, and drive their adoption across firmware, driver, and framework teams.
Minimum Qualifications
BS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent industry experience
10+ years of relevant engineering experience, with demonstrated ownership of cross-stack architecture spanning silicon, firmware, drivers, and OS frameworks
Excellent programming skills in C and C++, with strong fundamentals in OOP, real-time systems, and low-level performance
Strong understanding of multi-core SoC architecture, DMA, interrupt handling, power management, and RTOS internals
Hands-on experience with audio fundamentals: sample rates, clocking, buffering, latency, I2S/TDM/SoundWire, PCM/PDM, codecs, and DSP pipelines.
Comfortable reviewing hardware schematics and partnering with EE and silicon design teams on register-level interfaces and pre-silicon validation.
Proven track record of leading technical design from concept through mass production across multiple product lines simultaneously.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to align executives, peer architects, and individual contributors on a shared technical direction.
Preferred Qualifications
MS or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
Proven experience designing, building, and deploying AI-driven automated workflows and tools in a production engineering context.
Experience using LLMs and autonomous agents to solve complex engineering problems - code generation, log and trace analysis, automated triage, large-scale refactors.
Hands-on experience developing custom "skills" and tool-calling capabilities for AI agents to interact with APIs, databases, build systems, and internal software frameworks.
Familiarity with on-device ML inference paths and audio ML features (speech, noise control, spatial audio).
Experience with secure firmware environments, exclaves, or other trusted execution domains on embedded SoCs.
Track record of building tools, automation, or internal infrastructure that scaled the impact of teams beyond your direct contributions.
Ability to identify and develop solutions to broad, systemic problems across complex hardware and software environments.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment and make sound decisions with incomplete information.

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About Apple

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Imagine what you could do here! At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, intelligent people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with all Apple Hardware products. The same real passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices strengthening our dedication to leave the world better than we found it.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Cupertino, CA, US

Year founded

1976