Career Suggestion

Broadcast engineer

Broadcast engineers set up and maintain the equipment used to transmit programmes made in a studio and on location.

Average salary (a year)

£27000.0 to £55000.0 (starter to experienced)

Typical hours (a week)

40.0 to 45.0

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role

University

You could do a higher national diploma or degree in broadcast engineering. Employers may also accept related subjects, such as:

  • electronic or electrical engineering
  • physics
  • telecoms engineering
  • computer science

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
  • university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/

College

You may be able to find a trainee position in broadcast engineering after doing a college course. Courses include:

  • electrical or electronic engineering
  • creative media production and technology
  • electronic systems engineering
  • computing
  • T Level in Media, Broadcast and Production

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

More Information

  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
  • guide to T Levels|https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
  • search for courses|/find-a-course

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship with a broadcaster or production company, such as:

  • Broadcast and Media Systems Technical Operator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Broadcast and Media Systems Engineer Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship

These can take between 2 and 3 years to complete and combine on-the-job training and time spent with a learning provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science

  • 2 or more A levels, or equivalent, including maths and science, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

Work

If you already work for a broadcast or production company in a different role, for example a maintenance assistant, you might be able to start a broadcast engineering trainee scheme or apprenticeship, with the company you work for.

Volunteering

You'll find it useful to get practical experience using broadcasting equipment, as there is a lot of competition for places on training schemes.

You can get experience through:

  • student film, TV and theatre productions
  • community or student radio
  • live events and festivals
  • work placements with a broadcaster

More Information

Career Tips

Some of the larger broadcasters run their own training schemes, for instance:

Further Information

You can get more information about a career in broadcast engineering from ScreenSkills and This is Engineering .

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • broadcasting and telecommunications knowledge
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • knowledge of media production and communication
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • knowledge of engineering science and technology
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to have a thorough understanding of computer systems and applications

Day-to-day tasks

As a broadcast engineer, you could:

  • set up and test studio equipment
  • install multimedia hardware, software and digital broadcast technology
  • operate links between studios and outside broadcast (OB) units
  • edit programmes live as they’re being transmitted or recorded
  • make sure broadcasts meet quality standards
  • respond to technical issues and fix them
  • service and maintain equipment
  • supervise trainee engineering assistants

Working environment

You could work at a TV studio, at a film studio, in a workshop or on location.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers and you'll travel often.

With experience, you could:

  • become a senior engineer, overseeing broadcast planning and design
  • specialise in particular operations, like satellite communications or picture and audio quality
  • work as a broadcast technical consultant, advising companies on how best to set up equipment in a studio or on location

Many engineers work freelance, so it's important to keep up to date with developments in technology.

Related careers

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