Film Career · Post-Production Sound
Re-recording Mixer
Post-Production Sound · IATSE Local 700
- Union
- IATSE Local 700
- Day rate
- ~$2,800–$5,500/wk
- Experience
- 3–5 yrs
What does a Re-recording Mixer do?
Re-recording mixers create the final soundtrack on the dub stage, balancing dialogue, music, and effects into the mix that plays in theaters and on streamers. The final mix is among the last creative passes on any film, and the mixers' names sit high in the end crawl for a reason.
What does a Re-recording Mixer make?
- About $2,800-$5,500 a week (Local 700 scale on the low end; senior dub-stage mixers much higher), roughly $110K-$300K+ a year.
- Features versus TV, lead versus second mixer, and major-studio credits drive it.
Film work is gig based, so crew are paid a day or weekly rate rather than a salary. These are realistic 2024-2025 ranges grounded in union rate cards and industry data; actual pay swings with budget tier, market, overtime, and reputation.
Sources & how we estimate pay
Union scale is the floor; the ranges above also reflect market day rates above scale. They are grounded in the following 2024–2025 sources:
Union rate cards & wage schedules
Official guild scale — the floor each craft is paid from.
- IATSE — 2024 Basic Agreement wage scales (PDF) ↗
- IATSE Local 600 (International Cinematographers Guild) — camera rate cards ↗
- DGA — minimum salary rate cards (director, unit production manager, assistant directors) ↗
- WGA — schedule of minimums (writers) ↗
- SAG-AFTRA — theatrical & background rate sheets (cast, stunts, background) ↗
- Teamsters Local 399 — basic feature wage rates, 2024–27 (transportation, locations, wranglers) (PDF) ↗
Government wage data
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the closest federal occupation.
On the job
- Balance dialogue, music, and effects into the final mix
- Shape dynamics and space for theatrical and streaming deliverables
- Serve the director's intent through the last creative pass
- Deliver stems and versions for every platform and territory
You’ll like and be good at this job if:
Hard skills
- You know mixing consoles and how to balance a final mix
- You have precise, trained ears
Soft skills
- You have patience for the fine work
- You collaborate calmly with directors and editors
Career progression
Mixers rise through post sound: assistant, then sound editor or mix tech, then mixer, usually specializing in dialogue/music or effects chairs before leading a stage. Facility relationships and picture editor recommendations drive the climb.
A typical path, from entry to the top of the craft. Times are rough and vary by market, luck, and how steadily the work comes.
- Sound Effects Editor· 3-5 yrs
~$60K–$220K+/yr
- Re-recording Mixeryou are here· peak of the craft
~$110K–$300K+/yr
How do you become a Re-recording Mixer?
Post sound facilities hire assistants and machine room techs; that is the door. Learn Pro Tools to certification depth and study mixes actively. Stage time is apprenticeship, so choose facilities whose mixers teach.
On covered productions, rates, hours, and conditions for the role are set by IATSE Local 700 contracts.
Covered by a union? The joining a film union guide explains how each one takes members.