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Accompanist vs professional musician

The differences between accompanists and professional musicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an accompanist and a professional musician. Additionally, a professional musician has an average salary of $55,483, which is higher than the $52,645 average annual salary of an accompanist.

The top three skills for an accompanist include music theory, sight-read and piano performance. The most important skills for a professional musician are live performances, music venues, and music theory.

Accompanist vs professional musician overview

AccompanistProfessional Musician
Yearly salary$52,645$55,483
Hourly rate$25.31$26.67
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs19743,354
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4545
Years of experience44

Accompanist vs professional musician salary

Accompanists and professional musicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

AccompanistProfessional Musician
Average salary$52,645$55,483
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $111,000Between $25,000 And $121,000
Highest paying CityHempstead, NY-
Highest paying stateNew York-
Best paying companyKern Community College District-
Best paying industryEducation-

Differences between accompanist and professional musician education

There are a few differences between an accompanist and a professional musician in terms of educational background:

AccompanistProfessional Musician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorMusicMusic
Most common collegeStanford UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Accompanist vs professional musician demographics

Here are the differences between accompanists' and professional musicians' demographics:

AccompanistProfessional Musician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 38.6% Female, 61.4%Male, 82.2% Female, 17.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.6% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 5.5% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between accompanist and professional musician duties and responsibilities

Accompanist example responsibilities.

  • Provide solos for worship services, lead tenor section of adult choir
  • Chart chords for gospel choir songs.
  • Accompany individual voice, violin, and cello students.
  • Accompany cello, violin and piano students in competition, recital, workshop, and certification programs.
  • Perform in piano bars, cabarets, and clubs all over NYC, Off-Broadway, and in summer stock
  • Accompany solo singers during rehearsals and competitions.
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Professional musician example responsibilities.

  • Accomplish placement in first group clarinet section.
  • Play drums, percussion keyboard instruments, tympani, and ethnic percussion.
  • use of rolland, yamaha, instruments, composing music.also taken courses on songwriting and acapella.also musis theory and philosphy.
  • Compose and write own original copyright music/tablature; release one EP and one full length LP (studio album).
  • Provide various music from spirituals, hymns, anthems, older gospel and the very latest of good quality gospel music.
  • Provide musical support during gospel choir singing engagements.
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Accompanist vs professional musician skills

Common accompanist skills
  • Music Theory, 18%
  • Sight-Read, 16%
  • Piano Performance, 16%
  • Singers, 8%
  • Piano Accompaniment, 8%
  • Musical Theatre, 7%
Common professional musician skills
  • Live Performances, 17%
  • Music Venues, 7%
  • Music Theory, 6%
  • Songwriting, 6%
  • Keyboard, 5%
  • Brass, 5%

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