How To Become A Church Musician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a church musician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Arthur Gottschalk

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a church musician. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.7 an hour? That's $53,449 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 6,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a church musician?

Dr. Arthur Gottschalk

Professor of Music, Rice University

Your music education is also a college education, which prepares you for many things beyond music. You may have to take a “day job” while you advance your career as a musician. Stay flexible, and be aware of possible opportunities everywhere. The path forward is not a straight line, and one of the pleasurable things about a career in music is that it can encompass so many different activities within the field. You may start your career as a music educator, but your work might lead you to opportunities as an arranger, or composer of educational music, or to develop method books or practice etudes. Your day job in retail might lead you towards music merchandising; your clerical day job might lead you towards work in music administration, or publishing, or management. Your job as a symphony musician might allow you to also form a chamber group, and your interests may eventually take you in that direction, or towards private teaching. There are so may fulfilling and exciting options beyond what you think your education may have prepared you for.

ScoreChurch MusicianUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,449

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.2

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 5.41%

Black or African American 13.88%

Hispanic or Latino 12.26%

Unknown 5.06%

White 63.22%

Gender

female 30.34%

male 69.66%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

4.2

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a church musician

Explore church musician education requirements

Most common church musician degrees

Bachelor's

54.2 %

Associate

17.4 %

Master's

12.9 %

Start to develop specific church musician skills

Skills	Percentages
Pastoral Care	74.99%
Individual Pieces	15.53%
Baptist	9.48%

Research church musician duties and responsibilities

Accomplish placement in first group clarinet section.
Perform traditional gospel, new age gospel, and inspirational music for congregation.
Founder of various alternative rock groups-Multiple publish works-Regularly gain experience in songwriting, management, production, marketing, video and design
Act as a vacation bible school instructor in the summer months.

Prepare your church musician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your church musician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a church musician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable church musician resume templates

Build a professional church musician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your church musician resume.

Apply for church musician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a church musician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do church musicians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Church musician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2022

Pros

I have fun and I like to sing and playing guitar and see people and travel around the world

Cons

nothing at all love it

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2021

Pros

I love my job. Music has always been an integral part of my life. I love working with the kids and watching their growth from the time they begin with us (7th grade) through when they leave us (end of 8th grade)....and throughout high school. I love knowing that I have the ability to help make a difference in their lives using music as a vehicle. At the end of the day, they will not all become music majors, but hopefully, they will love and understand a variety of music genres. I love the collaboration between the choir director and myself when choosing music, and working together to make the notes on the page into music. As an accompanist, it’s not about me...but about providing the students and director with what they need. I love hearing the final product when it all comes together. No day is ever the same, and while you have to be prepared musically, you also must have the ability to adapt lessons plans instantly...because you are working with middle schoolers, and they are ever evolving from day to day.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2021

Pros

The thing I like the most is that I am able to express the real me through music, especially when I sing than in any other way....I am myself when I am working as a musician

Cons

I don't like when I can't give the best of me,when am singing or writting a song.

What is a church musician and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a church musician?

Church musician career paths

Key steps to become a church musician

Explore church musician education requirements

Most common church musician degrees

Start to develop specific church musician skills

Research church musician duties and responsibilities

Prepare your church musician resume

Choose from 10+ customizable church musician resume templates

Apply for church musician jobs

How did you land your first church musician job

Average church musician salary

How do church musicians rate their job?

Church musician reviews