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Major · Communications Tech

A production-trade credential facing a contracting industry

Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician (CIP 10.0202) prepares students for camera, broadcast-engineering, lighting, and post-production roles. About 953 students complete it across 85 institutions, with two of four named jobs showing negative projected growth.

Schools offering
85
Annual completions
953
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$39k

About this major

Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician (CIP 10.0202) is a production-trade credential preparing students for camera, sound, lighting, broadcast-engineering, and post-production roles in radio, television, and adjacent video industries. The CIP definition organizes coursework around sound, lighting, and camera operation and maintenance; power and feed control; studio operations; production preparation; broadcast engineering; related computer applications; and specialized applications such as news, entertainment, live talk, sports, commercials, and taping. Programs include studio lab time, edit-suite work in Premiere or Avid, audio recording and mixing, lighting setups, and live-production practice on student-run radio or television channels.

The major fits students drawn to the technical and operational side of media production rather than to writing or on-air talent, comfortable with both equipment troubleshooting and creative work under deadline. It rewards mechanical aptitude, calm focus during live broadcasts, attention to color and sound detail, and a willingness to start at part-time or freelance work and build a portfolio over years rather than months.

One grounded observation about industry direction: of the four named labor-market destinations, two show negative projected growth — broadcast technician (-2.8%, $53,920) and lighting technician (-4.6%, $60,560) — reflecting consolidation and automation in traditional radio and TV. Film and video editor (+4%, $70,980) and camera operator (+1.2%, $68,810) hold up better as streaming, branded content, and corporate video sustain demand. 953 students complete this CIP across 85 institutions, with Full Sail (a private for-profit) producing 117 graduates (12% of national output). Bachelor’s graduates earn $47,170 in five-year tracked wages and associate’s graduates $33,952, both below BLS medians for the named jobs — consistent with the field’s heavy reliance on freelance and part-time entry roles.

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
Lighting technicians $61k -4.6% Postsecondary nondegree award
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’re drawn to the technical and operational side of media production rather than to writing or on-air talent, you’re comfortable with cameras, audio gear, and edit suites and willing to keep learning new tools (streaming workflows, podcasting equipment, social-video formats), you’re building a real portfolio of edited reels, recordings, and live-production credits alongside your degree, you’re fine with starting at part-time or freelance work and building toward staff positions, and you’re realistic about the field’s labor-market direction — two of four named jobs are projected to decline.

Think twice if you’re looking at Full Sail or another private for-profit option without comparing net price and graduation rates against public alternatives (Rowan, Bowie State, CUNY BMCC, regional technical colleges). The credential matters less in this field than the portfolio you graduate with, so a lower-cost program with strong studio time and live-production practice often beats a more expensive program. Reconsider if your target is creative directing, shooting, or storytelling rather than technical operations — Cinematography and Film/Video Production (CIP 50.0602, 6,935 completions) sits on the visual-arts side with stronger creative emphasis. Also pause if traditional broadcast is your firm target without flexibility into streaming, podcasting, or corporate video; the named broadcast and lighting roles show negative growth, so adjacent skills matter.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician

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 5 112 117
Rowan University Glassboro, NJ 0 96 96
Bowie State University Bowie, MD 0 79 79
University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo Arecibo, PR 0 58 58
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY 48 0 48
Tri-County Technical College Pendleton, SC 36 0 36
Trident Technical College Charleston, SC 34 0 34
Alabama A & M University Normal, AL 0 32 32
New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, RI 16 11 27
Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX 24 0 24
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Cinematography and Film/Video Production

6,935 completions/yr

Radio and Television

4,611 completions/yr

Recording Arts Technology/Technician

1,311 completions/yr

Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Other

465 completions/yr

Communications Technology/Technician

458 completions/yr

Photographic and Film/Video Technology/Technician

443 completions/yr

Documentary Production

29 completions/yr

Voice Writing Technology/Technician

4 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Broadcasting Technology majors actually study?
Coursework follows the CIP definition: sound, lighting, and camera operation and maintenance; power and feed control; studio operations; production preparation; broadcast engineering; related computer applications; and specialized applications such as news, entertainment, live talk, sports, commercials, and taping. Programs typically include studio lab time, edit-suite work in Premiere or Avid, audio recording and mixing, lighting setups, and live-production practice on student-run radio or TV channels.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
Named destinations include film and video editor ($70,980, 4% growth, bachelor’s typical), camera operator ($68,810, 1.2% growth, bachelor’s), broadcast technician ($53,920, -2.8% growth, associate’s), and lighting technician ($60,560, -4.6% growth, postsecondary nondegree). Bachelor’s graduates earn $47,170 in five-year tracked wages and associate’s graduates $33,952 — both below the BLS occupational medians, suggesting many early-career roles are part-time, freelance, or below the senior-staff wage point.
Is this a declining industry?
Mixed. Two of four named jobs are projected to decline: broadcast technicians (-2.8%) and lighting technicians (-4.6%), reflecting consolidation and automation in traditional radio and TV. Film and video editors (+4%) and camera operators (+1.2%) hold up better as streaming platforms, branded content, and corporate video keep demand for production work alive. The career path increasingly favors graduates who can move beyond traditional broadcast into streaming, podcasting, social-video, and corporate production rather than staying in the named broadcast track.
Does the bachelor’s pay back versus the associate’s?
Modestly. Bachelor’s graduates earn $47,170 versus $33,952 for associate’s — a $13,000 gap. The named target jobs split by degree level: editing and camera-operator roles list a bachelor’s as typical entry, while broadcast technician sits at associate’s and lighting at a postsecondary nondegree award. If your target is the higher-paying editing or camera track, the bachelor’s matters; if your target is broadcast engineering or lighting, an associate’s or shorter certificate paired with portfolio work often opens the same door.
Why does Full Sail dominate the top of the program list?
Full Sail University (Florida) produces 117 completions — about 12% of national output — through its online and accelerated bachelor’s program, marketed heavily to entertainment-industry hopefuls. It’s a private for-profit with notable cost; compare net price and graduation rates against public alternatives. Rowan (96), Bowie State (79), CUNY Borough of Manhattan (48), Tri-County Technical, and Trident Technical offer the same credential at substantially different price points. The credential matters less in this field than the portfolio you graduate with.
How does this compare to Cinematography and Film/Video Production?
Cinematography and Film/Video Production (CIP 50.0602, 6,935 completions) is roughly seven times larger and sits in the visual-and-performing-arts side of the catalog with a stronger creative and storytelling emphasis. Radio and Television Broadcasting Tech (10.0202) sits on the technical side, focused more on operations, engineering, and live broadcast. Choose 50.0602 if you want the creative directing and shooting track; choose this CIP if you’re drawn to technical operations, engineering, and live-production environments.