Musicians and singers salary
Data unavailable BLS does not publish annual wage estimates for this occupation; the national median hourly wage is $47.80.
Musicians and singers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 42 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Data unavailable | 190 | 0.4 | ||
| Arizona | Data unavailable | 410 | 0.54 | ||
| Arkansas | Data unavailable | 110 | 0.36 | ||
| California | Data unavailable | 6,840 | 1.61 | ||
| Colorado | Data unavailable | 420 | 0.63 | ||
| Connecticut | Data unavailable | 520 | 1.31 | ||
| District of Columbia | Data unavailable | 200 | 1.21 | ||
| Florida | Data unavailable | 2,130 | 0.92 | ||
| Georgia | Data unavailable | 540 | 0.47 | ||
| Hawaii | Data unavailable | 740 | 5.08 | ||
| Illinois | Data unavailable | 1,300 | 0.92 | ||
| Indiana | Data unavailable | 400 | 0.53 | ||
| Iowa | Data unavailable | 250 | 0.7 | ||
| Kansas | Data unavailable | 260 | 0.78 | ||
| Kentucky | Data unavailable | 130 | 0.28 | ||
| Louisiana | Data unavailable | 150 | 0.34 | ||
| Maine | Data unavailable | 30 | 0.23 | ||
| Maryland | Data unavailable | 570 | 0.88 | ||
| Massachusetts | Data unavailable | 680 | 0.8 | ||
| Michigan | Data unavailable | 1,340 | 1.31 | ||
| Minnesota | Data unavailable | 540 | 0.79 | ||
| Mississippi | Data unavailable | 80 | 0.3 | ||
| Missouri | Data unavailable | 620 | 0.9 | ||
| Montana | Data unavailable | 260 | 2.17 | ||
| Nevada | Data unavailable | 260 | 0.72 | ||
| New Jersey | Data unavailable | 570 | 0.58 | ||
| New Mexico | Data unavailable | 60 | 0.28 | ||
| New York | Data unavailable | 5,470 | 2.42 | ||
| North Carolina | Data unavailable | 750 | 0.65 | ||
| Ohio | Data unavailable | 1,760 | 1.36 | ||
| Oklahoma | Data unavailable | 280 | 0.7 | ||
| Oregon | Data unavailable | 1,310 | 2.86 | ||
| Pennsylvania | Data unavailable | 1,160 | 0.82 | ||
| Puerto Rico | Data unavailable | 90 | 0.41 | ||
| South Carolina | Data unavailable | 330 | 0.62 | ||
| Tennessee | Data unavailable | 1,860 | 2.44 | ||
| Texas | Data unavailable | 1,430 | 0.44 | ||
| Utah | Data unavailable | 230 | 0.58 | ||
| Vermont | Data unavailable | 30 | 0.47 | ||
| Virginia | Data unavailable | 400 | 0.42 | ||
| Washington | Data unavailable | 750 | 0.91 | ||
| Wisconsin | Data unavailable | 380 | 0.56 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for musicians and singers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 17,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 47.8%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for musicians and singers
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Musical Theatre CIP 50.0509
- Music, General CIP 50.0901
- Music Performance, General CIP 50.0903
- Keyboard Instruments CIP 50.0907
- Voice and Opera CIP 50.0908
- Jazz/Jazz Studies CIP 50.0910
- Stringed Instruments CIP 50.0911
- Music Pedagogy CIP 50.0912
- Brass Instruments CIP 50.0914
- Woodwind Instruments CIP 50.0915
- Percussion Instruments CIP 50.0916
- Music, Other CIP 50.0999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings.
- Practice performances, individually or in rehearsal with other musicians, to master individual pieces of music or to maintain and improve skills.
- Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.
- Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands.
- Provide the musical background for live shows, such as ballets, operas, musical theatre, and cabarets.
- Play from memory or by following scores.
- Sight-read musical parts during rehearsals.
- Seek out and learn new music suitable for live performance or recording.
Technology skills
- Facebook (hot technology)
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- Acoustica Mixcraft
- Apple GarageBand
- Appointment scheduling software
- Audacity
- Avid Technology Pro Tools
- Avid Technology Sibelius
- Blogging software
- Cantovation Sing & See
- Email software
- Financial tracking software
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Service Orientation, Time Management, Persuasion, Systems Analysis.
Common job titles: Chorister, Drummer, Musician, Opera Singer, Orchestra Musician, Percussionist, Performer, Singer, Violinist, Vocalist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
What education do musicians and singers need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and long-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is musicians and singers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of musicians and singers to change +0.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 17,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.