AV Technician Overtime Explained: Mastering the 10-Hour Rule and Short Turnarounds

For event planners, one of the most confusing and costly items on a final AV invoice can be labor charges. Understanding how professional AV companies structure their day rates, overtime, and turnaround times is critical for accurate budgeting and avoiding expensive surprises.

The Industry Standard: The 10-Hour Day

In the world of live event production, a standard "day rate" for a technician (like a sound engineer or lighting operator) typically covers a 10-hour portal-to-portal block of time. This includes travel to and from the venue. It is not just the 8 hours they are on-site during the event.

Any work that extends beyond this 10-hour block is generally billed as overtime.

How Overtime is Calculated (And How to Avoid It)

Overtime is where budgets can quickly spiral if not planned for. The calculations are usually based on the technician's hourly rate (Day Rate / 10).

• Hours 11 & 12: Typically billed at 1.5x the standard hourly rate.
• Hours 13+: Often billed at 2x (double-time) the standard hourly rate.

Example: A 12-hour day doesn't just add 2 extra hours of cost. It adds 2 hours at a premium rate (1.5x), effectively costing the same as 3 standard hours. An efficient schedule is the best way to control costs.

The Hidden Cost: Short Turnarounds

This is the most misunderstood labor charge. A "short turnaround" occurs when a technician is given less than an 8-hour break between the end of one work call and the start of the next. This is common in multi-day conferences.

If a technician finishes at midnight and is required back on-site at 7 AM the next morning (a 7-hour break), the company may invoke a penalty, often billing the entire second day at an overtime rate. This is to ensure crew get adequate rest for safety and performance. A good production manager will create a crew schedule with rotating shifts to avoid this scenario entirely.