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Major · Communications Technologies

Behind the camera, console, and cable in audiovisual production

This is the catchall CIP for audiovisual programs that don’t fit a named lane like broadcasting or recording arts. Specific coursework varies by school, ranging from broadcast captioning to live-event AV. National completions sit at 465 across just 10 institutions in the most recent year reported.

Schools offering
10
Annual completions
465
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$39k

About this major

Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Other is a CIP catchall (10.0299) for AV-focused technician programs that don’t fit a named code. The federal definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in audiovisual communications technologies not listed under the named CIPs in this family, with broadcast captioning given as one example. Specific program content varies considerably by institution. At Full Sail University the major runs as a bachelor’s track tied to film and entertainment production, while community colleges like Bossier Parish, Cincinnati State, and Northeast Community College structure it as an associate’s pathway preparing students for direct technical work.

The major rewards students who like working with their hands and their ears at the same time. Coursework typically blends signal flow, camera and lens fundamentals, editing software, and live-production troubleshooting. Pattern-recognition for audio problems, comfort with rigging and cabling, and patience for repetitive setup-and-strike cycles all matter more here than abstract theory. Students who enjoy production day more than the writers’ room tend to fit this track.

National scale is small: 465 completions across 10 institutions in the most recent year reported. Tracked destinations include film and video editors at $70,980 median wages, camera operators at $68,810, and broadcast technicians at $53,920. The five-year median earnings figure of $39,459 sits well below those tracked wages, which reflects how many graduates spend early years freelancing or working entry-level production assistant gigs before moving into the named occupations.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Film and video editors $71k +4.0% Bachelor's degree
Camera operators, television, video, and film $69k +1.2% Bachelor's degree
Broadcast technicians $54k -2.8% Associate's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$39k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$34k

Bachelor's

$47k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you light up when a console works the way it should, if you find live-event setup more satisfying than meeting-room theory, if you have steady hands for cable management and patience for repetitive load-in cycles, if the AVIXA CTS certification path or industry certifications already appeal to you, or if a specific school’s program (like Full Sail’s entertainment-business pipeline or Bossier Parish’s broadcast-operations track) lines up with the kind of work you actually want to do.

Think twice if you assume the major title alone tells employers what you studied — at 465 national completions and 10 institutions, recruiters often won’t know this CIP and will ask about specific projects and software instead. Reconsider if you want a clean classroom-to-corporate path, since the work is project-based and freelance-heavy with a $39,459 five-year median earnings figure that lags the tracked occupations. The data also shows broadcast technician employment declining 2.8%, so building skills in corporate AV, live-event, or post-production widens your options. Compare this catchall against named siblings like Recording Arts (CIP 10.0203) or Radio/TV Broadcasting (CIP 10.0202) before committing — the named credential signals focus more clearly.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Full Sail University Winter Park, FL 48 359 407
Bossier Parish Community College Bossier City, LA 22 0 22
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH 18 0 18
Northeast Community College Norfolk, NE 10 0 10
Webster University Saint Louis, MO 0 4 4
Howard Community College Columbia, MD 3 0 3
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston, MS 1 0 1
Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park, MN 0 0 0
Seattle Central College Seattle, WA 0 0 0
Husson University Bangor, ME 0 0 0
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Cinematography and Film/Video Production

6,935 completions/yr

Science Technologies/Technicians, Other

2,437 completions/yr

Recording Arts Technology/Technician

1,311 completions/yr

Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other

1,150 completions/yr

Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician

953 completions/yr

Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other

733 completions/yr

Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, Other

550 completions/yr

Communications Technology/Technician

458 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this major actually cover, given its vague name?
The CIP describes it as any audiovisual communications technologies program not listed under the named codes, with broadcast captioning called out as one example. In practice that means program content varies considerably by institution. Full Sail’s bachelor’s track and Bossier Parish Community College’s associate’s track teach noticeably different skill sets despite sharing this CIP. Read the syllabus for the specific program before assuming it matches what you saw at another school.
How does this compare to the named CIPs like Radio/TV Broadcasting or Recording Arts?
The named siblings produce more graduates and have tighter curricula. Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology (CIP 10.0202) reports 953 total completions and Recording Arts Technology (CIP 10.0203) reports 1,311, both well above this catchall’s 465. If your interest is clearly audio engineering or broadcast operations, the named CIPs signal that focus more cleanly to employers. Choose this code only when the specific program at a specific school is the right fit.
Do I need a bachelor’s, or is an associate’s enough?
It depends on the destination. Broadcast technicians at $53,920 typically enter with an associate’s degree, while film and video editors at $70,980 and camera operators at $68,810 typically expect a bachelor’s. The earnings split in the data reflects that pattern: associate’s holders average $33,952 in early-career earnings versus $47,170 for bachelor’s holders. Industry certifications like AVIXA CTS also carry weight for AV integrator and corporate event roles.
What kinds of jobs do graduates actually land?
The packet ties this major to film and video editors, camera operators in television and video, and broadcast technicians. Beyond those tracked occupations, graduates work in corporate event production, house-of-worship AV, live-tour technical roles, and podcast or recording studios. Sound and AV integration firms hire from this pool to design and install Crestron, Extron, or Q-Sys systems for offices and venues.
Is the field shrinking because of streaming and AI?
Some lanes are. Broadcast technician employment is projected to decline 2.8% as legacy TV stations consolidate. Camera operator growth at 1.2% is essentially flat, and film and video editors grow at a modest 4%. AI is reshaping routine post-production color and audio cleanup, while live-event setup, system design, and on-site troubleshooting remain harder to automate.
Why does Full Sail dominate the completions list?
Full Sail University accounts for 407 of the 465 national completions in this CIP, including 359 bachelor’s graduates. The remaining graduates spread across community colleges in Louisiana, Ohio, Nebraska, Maryland, and Mississippi. That concentration reflects how administrative coding works as much as curriculum: most universities place AV-related students under broader media or film codes, which leaves Full Sail’s specialized programs and a handful of community colleges in this catchall.