LA Sound Mixer Day Rate (2026): What Production Sound Mixers Make
What working production sound mixers actually make in LA in 2026. Non-union and IATSE 695 rates, kit fees, boom op pricing, and how project type changes the number.
The production sound mixer is the head of the sound department on a film set. They run the mixing rig, manage wireless and boom inputs, troubleshoot every audio issue in real time, and own the production sound chain that post will work from for the rest of the project. Working production sound mixers in LA in 2026 are pulling $650-1,000/day on non-union commercial and indie work, $900-1,400/day on IATSE Local 695 signatory series and features. Kit fees often equal or exceed the day rate.
This guide is the practical breakdown of sound mixer rates in LA in 2026: how the number lands, kit fee math (which surprises most coordinators), Local 695 context, and the boom op pricing that completes the department.
The quick answer
| Tier | Non-union day rate | Union (Local 695 signatory) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry / new sound mixer | $475-650 | Scale + bumps |
| Mid (3-7 years) | $650-850 | Scale + bumps |
| Senior / experienced | $850-1,000+ | $950-1,400+ |
These are 10 to 12-hour day rates in the LA market in 2026, before kit fee, box rental, boom op, and overtime. The day rate is roughly half the conversation. The kit fee is the other half.
Why LA sound mixer rates land where they do
IATSE Local 695. The Production Sound Technicians, Television Engineers, Video Assist Technicians, and Studio Projectionists Local. Covers sound mixers and the broader production sound classification on union signatory work. Local 695 scale is the canonical reference for series and feature pricing.
Equipment investment. A working sound mixer owns a substantial mixing rig: cart, recorder (Sound Devices, Zaxcom, or similar), wireless transmitter package (often 6-12 channels), boom mics, lavaliers, antennae, monitoring, and the trolley or backpack rig that runs the day. Total equipment investment for a working senior mixer often exceeds $80,000-150,000. The kit fee reflects amortization of that investment.
LA's commercial concentration. LA anchors more national commercial production than any other market. Sound mixers on top-tier commercial work command rates near or above feature-level pricing.
Senior mixer scarcity. The senior LA sound mixer tier is small. The shortlist of mixers with deep network-broadcast, sketch-comedy, narrative-feature, and live-event credits is roughly 30-50 mixers across the city. They book deep.
By project type
National commercial. $800-1,100/day non-union for a mid-senior mixer plus kit fee. Top commercial mixers price above this for branded campaigns with complex audio environments.
Branded content / regional commercial. $650-850/day non-union plus kit fee.
Streaming series. Most series in LA run signatory. Local 695 scale applies. Day rates land $950-1,300/day plus 695 box rental rules.
Indie feature. $550-800/day non-union. LA indie features often fold mixer rate plus kit into a flat day rate.
Music video. $650-900/day plus kit fee. LA music video sound work is steady, especially on narrative-style videos and live performance hybrid shoots.
Doc and unscripted. $550-850/day plus kit fee. Doc and reality work runs leaner crews but often requires more wireless channels.
Live event / award show production. $1,000-1,600/day for senior mixers on broadcast-quality live event work.
Kit fee math: where the real number lives
A sound mixer kit fee is not optional. The mixer brings the entire production sound infrastructure to set. The kit fee covers amortization of that gear plus the consumables and adapters needed to actually run the day.
Typical 2026 LA kit fees:
- Basic kit (2-4 wireless channels + boom + recorder): $250-400/day.
- Standard commercial kit (4-8 wireless channels + boom + recorder + monitoring): $400-600/day.
- Full series / feature kit (8-12 wireless channels + multiple boom + redundant recorder + comms + sync): $600-900/day.
- Complex multi-cam / live event kit: $800-1,500/day.
The kit fee often equals or exceeds the day rate. A working senior LA sound mixer with a $750 day rate is typically running a $500-700/day kit fee, making the full invoice line $1,250-1,450/day before overtime.
Coordinators new to budgeting LA sound consistently underbudget this line. Ask the mixer for their kit sheet up front and quote the full day rate plus kit as one number for planning.
Boom op pricing
The sound mixer is one half of the department. The boom op is the other half. Working LA boom ops in 2026 typically run $400-650/day non-union plus a small kit fee ($25-75/day for boom-specific kit). Union signatory boom op rates run $550-800/day plus Local 695 scale rules.
A coordinator budgeting LA sound needs to budget mixer plus kit plus boom op plus boom op kit. The total department line is meaningfully larger than the sound mixer line alone.
On larger productions with complex audio environments, a sound utility position runs $400-550/day non-union and handles wireless management, cabling, and second-boom work.
Overtime and Local 695 specifics
Non-union overtime structure: 1.5x after hour 10, 2x after hour 14, 1.5x on the 6th day, 2x on the 7th. Kit fee typically does not overtime, only the labor day rate.
Local 695 has its own structure with overtime, meal-penalty, and equipment-rental rules on signatory work. The 695 box rental structure is specific and well-documented in their public rate sheets.
How rates have moved 2024 to 2026
LA sound mixer day rates moved up 8-12% across 2024-2026. Kit fees moved up roughly 10-15% reflecting equipment cost inflation and the broader wireless-spectrum complexity sound mixers manage. Drivers:
- Wireless spectrum complexity requiring more high-end transmitters and antennas
- Replacement cost of recorders and gear up substantially
- Senior mixer scarcity
- Local 695 contract adjustments
For 2026 budgets, plan 5-8% above 2025 day rates and 7-10% above 2025 kit fees.
How to actually book a sound mixer in LA
Director / DP relationship. Many DPs have one or two sound mixers they recommend.
IATSE Local 695 referrals. Union signatory work routes through the Local.
Word of mouth across the post community. Re-recording mixers and audio supervisors often know which production sound mixers deliver clean material.
NeedaCrew. Browse LA sound mixers by experience, kit specifics, and recent credits. Free to find work, free to be listed.
The bottom line for coordinators
A working sound mixer in LA in 2026 typically lands at $650-900/day non-union plus a $400-600/day kit fee for commercial and indie work. Total mixer line: $1,050-1,500/day. Union signatory work runs $950-1,300/day plus 695 box rules. Budget boom op and sound utility positions separately. Treat kit fee as part of the day rate when planning, not as an afterthought.
LA production sound is a deep, mature, equipment-heavy department. The talent is real, the equipment investment is real, and the rates reflect both.
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