Foley Artist
Impact: Production audio realism and storytelling through expert Foley performance
Create and record custom sound effects for film, television, animation, and video games by performing sounds in a recording studio using props and surfaces. Synchronise footsteps, clothing movement, and object interactions to picture, and deliver high-quality audio assets that enhance the sonic realism of media productions.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 60% Team / 40% Solo
- Client facing
- Sometimes
- Impact visibility
- Moderate
- Travel
- 80 to 100% in Foley recording studios
- Schedule flexibility
- Moderate
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 38 to 50 hours/week
- Stress level
- Low
At a glance
- Median salary
- $85,000
- Entry-level
- $40,000 - $60,000
- Senior
- $150,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 5% (slower than average)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- High - 65 to 80% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- Low
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- 55
Soft skills
- 45
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Associate's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 2 to 4 years
- Years to senior
- 5 to 8 years
- Career switching
- Hard
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Foley Assistant > Foley Artist > Senior Foley Artist > Foley Supervisor > Sound Designer
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 20% moderate risk as AI automates some sound effect creation
- AI disruption risk
- Moderate
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 7/10
- Meaning
- 7/10
- Work-life balance
- 6.5/10
- Prestige
- 7/10
- Social perception
- High