Apprenticeship or college
Learn on the job with an integrator while studying. A strong start if you're leaving school or college.
KNOWLEDGE HUB
How to find your way in the AV industry
A plain-English guide to getting in, moving up, getting paid and staying on the right side of the rules. For the training itself, see the Courses page.
Getting into AV
AV sits between IT, electronics, events and building services, so people arrive from all directions. There's no single entry qualification. Employers care about practical skills, reliability and the right certifications.
From IT and networking
AV now runs over the network. IT support and network skills transfer straight into AV and UC roles.
From live events or music
Sound, lighting and stage crews already know signal flow and working under pressure.
From electrical or building trades
Install skills, site safety and containment experience are in demand on large projects.
Career changers
Free manufacturer courses let you test the water before committing. Many technicians start this way.
Where AV people work
IntegratorsDesign, install and support systems for clients. The biggest employers of AV engineers.
End-client AV teamsIn-house teams at banks, universities, the NHS and government running their own estates.
Rental and stagingEvents, conferences and live production. Fast-paced and often freelance.
ManufacturersTechnical support, training and pre-sales for the brands you install.
ConsultantsIndependent design and specification work for buildings and fit-outs.
Your first five steps
- Take two or three free courses (Extron AV Principles, Dante Level 1, Q-SYS Level 1) and add the certificates to your profile.
- Get a CSCS card if you'll work on construction sites, and IPAF if you'll use powered access.
- Build a simple profile here: skills, certificates, location and the days you're free.
- Meet people: industry events such as ISE and local AV meetups are where much hiring starts.
- Say yes to install, event and support work early on. Breadth of experience moves you up fastest.
CAREER PATH
From technician to global director
AV careers don't follow one fixed ladder, but most people move through these stages. Each step adds less hands-on work and more responsibility for systems, people, budgets and strategy. Job titles vary between integrators, rental companies and in-house teams.
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ENTRY LEVEL
Apprentice or AV Technician
Installs and cables equipment, sets up rooms and events, and handles first-line fixes under supervision.
- SKILLS TO BUILD
- Cabling and terminations, signal flow, safe working on site, and clear communication with users.
- TRAINING THAT HELPS
- Extron AV Principles, Dante Level 1, Q-SYS Level Zero and 1, Shure Audio Institute, plus site cards such as CSCS or IPAF if needed.
- TO MOVE UP
- Show you can fault-find on your own and start commissioning simple rooms.
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CORE ENGINEER
AV Engineer or Field Engineer
Commissions and supports systems, troubleshoots across audio, video, control and network, and covers out-of-hours work.
- SKILLS TO BUILD
- DSP configuration, networking basics, VC platforms and accurate documentation.
- TRAINING THAT HELPS
- CTS, Dante Level 2, Q-SYS Level 2, Biamp Tesira and Teams Rooms technical training.
- TO MOVE UP
- Take ownership of whole rooms or sites, and mentor newer technicians.
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SENIOR OR SPECIALIST
Senior Engineer, Programmer or Designer
Leads complex installs, writes control code or designs systems, and becomes the go-to expert for a platform.
- SKILLS TO BUILD
- Programming or design, networked AV, client-facing problem solving and writing standards.
- TRAINING THAT HELPS
- Crestron or Q-SYS control courses, CTS-D or CTS-I, Dante Level 3 and MS-721.
- TO MOVE UP
- Choose a direction: deep specialist, or leading people and projects.
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LEADERSHIP
Project Manager, Technical Lead or Team Lead
Runs projects or a team end to end: scope, schedule, budget, suppliers and client sign-off.
- SKILLS TO BUILD
- Planning, stakeholder management, commercial awareness and leading engineers.
- TRAINING THAT HELPS
- A recognised project qualification (such as PRINCE2 or APM), plus CTS-D or CTS-I to keep technical credibility.
- TO MOVE UP
- Deliver larger programmes across multiple sites and build trust with senior clients.
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MANAGEMENT
Head of AV or Service Delivery Manager
Owns AV for a whole organisation or account: standards, budgets, vendors, service levels and the team.
- SKILLS TO BUILD
- Budgeting, contracts, service management, room standards and hiring.
- TRAINING THAT HELPS
- Service management (such as ITIL), leadership courses, and staying current on UC and workplace technology.
- TO MOVE UP
- Shape strategy, not just delivery, and link AV to business goals such as hybrid working.
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EXECUTIVE
Director or Global Head of AV
Sets AV and workplace technology strategy across regions, manages large budgets and multiple teams, and reports to senior leaders.
- SKILLS TO BUILD
- Strategy, investment cases, global vendor relationships, and translating technology for VP and C-suite audiences.
- TRAINING THAT HELPS
- Executive leadership development, plus a strong network across manufacturers, integrators and industry bodies.
- TO MOVE UP
- This is the top of the AV path. Some move on into wider IT, workplace or digital leadership roles.
Specialist routes at senior level
Not everyone wants to manage people. Many engineers specialise and stay highly paid, highly technical experts instead.
Control programmerCrestron, Q-SYS control and Extron programming. Writes the logic behind every touch panel.
AV designer or consultantDesigns systems before they're built: drawings, specifications and tender documents. CTS-D is the key credential.
Networked AV and UC specialistAV over IP, Dante Level 3 and Teams or Zoom platforms. Works closely with IT and security teams.
Live events and broadcastSound, vision and LED for events, studios and venues. Often freelance and project based.
Which courses you need, by role
Employers rarely ask for everything. This is what job adverts typically expect at each stage. "Must have" gets you shortlisted; "Stands out" gets you picked.
| ROLE | MUST HAVE | STANDS OUT |
|---|---|---|
How you get paid
There are four common ways to be paid for AV work in the UK. The right one depends on the contract, its IR35 status and how much admin you want.
Permanent (PAYE)
You're an employee on a salary. Your employer handles tax and NI.
- Good for
- Stability, paid holiday and sick pay, pension, and training paid for by your employer.
- Watch out for
- Usually lower total earnings than contracting at senior levels.
Umbrella company
An umbrella employs you and runs PAYE on what the agency pays for your hours.
- Good for
- Inside-IR35 contracts and short assignments with no company admin.
- Watch out for
- Margin and employer costs come off the rate first. See the umbrella section below.
Limited company
You run your own company, which invoices clients or agencies for your work.
- Good for
- Outside-IR35 contracts, where it's usually the most tax-efficient option.
- Watch out for
- Accounts, VAT, insurance and IR35 responsibility. Most people use an accountant.
Sole trader
You invoice in your own name and file a Self Assessment tax return.
- Good for
- Occasional freelance work direct with clients, such as events.
- Watch out for
- Many agencies and large clients won't engage sole traders.
Working through an umbrella company
Common for inside-IR35 contracts and agency work. The umbrella company becomes your employer and pays you through PAYE, while the agency finds the work.
How the money flows
- The client pays the agency for the days you work.
- The agency keeps its fee and pays the umbrella company your assignment rate.
- The umbrella takes its margin and employer costs, then pays you through PAYE.
- You get a payslip showing every deduction. Check it every time.
What comes off your rate
The advertised rate is not your gross pay. Your payslip should show both stages:
BEFORE GROSS PAY
The umbrella's margin (its fee), employer National Insurance, employer pension contributions, holiday pay, and the Apprenticeship Levy if it applies.
FROM GROSS PAY
HMRC's umbrella pay calculator ↗
Income Tax, employee National Insurance, your pension contributions and any student loan repayments.
Warning signs to walk away from
- Part of your pay described as untaxed, such as a "loan" or "advance".
- Take-home pay that looks too good compared with your payslip.
- Payments from anyone other than your umbrella company.
- Extra agreements to sign beyond your employment contract.
- Being moved between umbrella companies often, with no clear reason.
Schemes like these can leave you owing tax years later. Keep your payslips and check them against your HMRC personal tax account.
What changed in April 2026
From 6 April 2026, recruitment agencies (or the end client, if there's no agency) are jointly liable for any PAYE an umbrella company fails to pay. Agencies are now much more careful about which umbrellas they use, so expect to be offered a shortlist of approved providers.
Your rights stay the same: a written contract, at least the minimum wage, pension auto-enrolment and holiday pay.
GOV.UK guide for umbrella workers ↗IR35
The off-payroll working rules. If you work through your own limited company but the job looks like employment, you pay broadly the same tax and National Insurance as an employee.
Outside IR35
Your limited company invoices in full and handles its own tax. Typical when you control how the work is done, can send a substitute, and work like a genuine business.
Inside IR35
Tax and NI are deducted before you're paid. You can either be paid through an umbrella company, or have the agency or client deduct tax from payments to your limited company.
Who decides?
For public sector and medium or large private clients, the client decides and must give you a Status Determination Statement. You can challenge it. For small private clients, your own company decides.
On Jackfield AV every contract role shows its IR35 status up front, so you can price your rate before you apply. Inside-IR35 roles usually pay a higher day rate to make up for the extra tax.
Security clearance
Government sites, defence suppliers and some banks ask for vetted engineers. You can't buy or apply for clearance yourself: an employer or client arranges it for a role that needs it.
BPSS — Baseline Personnel Security Standard
The standard screening for anyone working in or for government, contractors included. It isn't a security clearance as such, but it's the foundation every higher level builds on.
The hiring organisation runs four checks: your identity, your right to work in the UK, your recent employment history, and a basic criminal record check.
Official BPSS guidance on GOV.UK ↗SC — Security Check
Needed for regular access to SECRET material or sites. It's sponsored by an employer for a specific role: BPSS first, then a security questionnaire and background checks.
Expect a UK residency requirement, usually around five years. Active SC can often transfer to a new employer, which is why "SC cleared" profiles are in demand.
On Jackfield AV you choose who can see your clearance status, and employers verify it directly with your sponsor, never by uploading documents here.
Day rates
What a contractor or freelancer charges for one standard working day. On Jackfield AV you show a band rather than a fixed figure, so you can adjust for each job.
- Agree what a "day" means up front, usually 7.5 or 8 hours on site.
- Say whether your rate includes VAT, travel, parking and accommodation.
- Out-of-hours, weekend and bank holiday work normally carries a higher rate. Agree it in writing.
- Your rate also depends on IR35 status: inside-IR35 roles usually pay more to make up for the extra tax.
Ways of working
On-site
Based at the client's building every day: installs, commissioning, residencies and floor support.
Hybrid
Split between site and home. Common for project managers, designers and programmers.
Remote
Fully off-site: CAD and design, remote programming, monitoring and helpdesk.
Out of hours
Evenings, nights and weekends, so work doesn't disrupt a live office or trading floor. Usually paid at a premium.
Links checked October 2026. Course content, prices and access rules are set by each provider and can change, so always confirm on their site. This page is general guidance, not legal or tax advice.