Ask Joe: Should I Get A Pro Tools Certification?

Some illustrative examples
Let’s pretend I’m hiring an assistant engineer and I’ve narrowed it down to two applicants.

One has his PT certification while the other has a high school diploma and a portfolio of 20 different album projects on which he’s worked independently.

Who would you imagine I’m going to hire? Exactly, the guy that takes initiative and gets things done.

It’s just like any other industry. If you’re an accounting firm, do you hire the CPA with a 4.0 GPA fresh out of college with no work experience?

Or, would you hire the one with a 2.4 GPA who took 6 years to graduate college because he was working full-time as an assistant at a local accounting firm?

It’s all about the entire package you bring to the table.

Whether or not you get a shiny certificate (ok, some of them are matte) is really irrelevant. That’s just one piece of the puzzle.

Let’s say, for example, you want to work for yourself as a freelance engineer.

In that case, a PT certification may not make as much sense, but only if you are committed to learning Pro Tools on your own or through other means (such as tutorial videos). You can’t just have a passing knowledge of Pro Tools and hope to impress clients.

Conversely, knowing every Pro Tools shortcut in the entire system won’t help you make better recordings or get more clients. As with most things, it’s a balancing act.

Be an entrepreneur!
Whether you want to work for someone or work for yourself, you need to have an entrepreneurial spirit.

Read business books, make yourself a valuable commodity. Don’t just do the bare minimum. Get out there and start recording someone this weekend.

The best way I know to find the job you love is to already be doing the things you love (recording, mixing, etc.) on your own initiative.

Can I guarantee you’ll get a job? Nope. But the worst case scenario is that you become an awesome engineer while you’re looking for that dream job. Mission: accomplished.

To answer your question, Angela, “How much does the average engineer make?” It really depends on the engineer. Some never get a job as an engineer. Some make millions. In a lot of ways, it’s up to you.

Additional Resources:
Pro Tools Certification: Is it Worth the Money?

Joe Gilder is a Nashville based engineer, musician, and producer who also provides training and advice at the Home Studio Corner.