Church musician demographics and statistics in the US
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Church musician demographics by:
Church musician gender statistics
30.3% of church musicians are women and 69.7% of church musicians are men.
- Male, 69.7%
- Female, 30.3%
Church musician gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 69.7% |
| Female | 30.3% |
Church musician gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$55,002
Female income
$52,446
Church musician gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in church musician positions over time. Currently, 30.3% of church musicians are female.
Church musician gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.20% | 35.80% |
| 2011 | 62.99% | 37.01% |
| 2012 | 63.65% | 36.35% |
| 2013 | 65.66% | 34.34% |
| 2014 | 66.07% | 33.93% |
| 2015 | 65.81% | 34.19% |
| 2016 | 67.73% | 32.27% |
| 2017 | 65.02% | 34.98% |
| 2018 | 68.96% | 31.04% |
| 2019 | 71.52% | 28.48% |
| 2020 | 63.95% | 36.05% |
| 2021 | 69.66% | 30.34% |
Church musician related jobs gender ratio
We compared church musicians with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, 19d cavalry scout and baseball player have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Harpist | 8% | 92% |
| Actress | 8% | 92% |
| Modern Dancer | 8% | 92% |
| Church Musician | 70% | 30% |
| Assistant Varsity Football Coach | 98% | 2% |
| Baseball Player | 98% | 2% |
| 19D Cavalry Scout | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Church musician demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among church musicians is White, which makes up 63.2% of all church musicians. Comparatively, 13.9% of church musicians are Black or African American and 12.3% of church musicians are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 63.2%
- Black or African American, 13.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 12.3%
- Asian, 5.4%
- Unknown, 5.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Church musician race
| Church musician race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 63.2% |
| Black or African American | 13.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.3% |
| Asian | 5.4% |
| Unknown | 5.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Church musician race and ethnicity over time
See how church musician racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Church musician race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 68.16% | 14.61% | 4.87% | 10.06% |
| 2011 | 66.75% | 15.97% | 4.18% | 10.24% |
| 2012 | 67.06% | 15.30% | 4.04% | 10.39% |
| 2013 | 69.28% | 12.73% | 4.46% | 10.44% |
| 2014 | 65.24% | 14.99% | 5.16% | 11.67% |
| 2015 | 68.53% | 13.12% | 4.78% | 10.93% |
| 2016 | 68.59% | 13.64% | 4.67% | 10.43% |
| 2017 | 67.59% | 13.96% | 4.59% | 11.11% |
| 2018 | 64.67% | 14.48% | 5.89% | 11.58% |
| 2019 | 67.67% | 13.10% | 5.23% | 11.05% |
| 2020 | 62.71% | 13.16% | 5.98% | 13.01% |
| 2021 | 63.22% | 13.88% | 5.41% | 12.26% |
Church musician wage gap by race
According to our data, white church musicians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american church musicians have the lowest average salary at $52,115.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $55,739 |
| White | $56,299 |
| Black or African American | $52,115 |
| Asian | $55,894 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $55,071 |
Average church musician age
See how the average age of church musicians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Church musician age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 43 | |
| White | 43.5 | 55 |
| Black or African American | 35 | |
| Asian | 35 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 31 |
Church musician age breakdown
The average age of church musicians is 40+ years years old, representing 55% of the church musician population.
Church musician age breakdown
| Church Musician Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 55% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Church musician educational attainment
The most common degree for church musicians is bachelor's degree, with 54% of church musicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 13%.
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 13%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Church musicians by degree level
| Church musician degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 54% |
| Associate | 17% |
| Master's | 13% |
| High School Diploma | 10% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Church musician jobs you might like
Church musician wage gap by degree level
According to the data, church musicians with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $62,668 annually. With a Associate degree, church musicians earn a median annual income of $56,340 compared to $51,059 for church musicians with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $62,668 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,429 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,059 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $56,340 |
Church musician employment statistics
Most church musicians work for a education in the non profits industry.
Company size where church musicians work
Below, you can see the size of companies where church musicians work.
Church musician jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 14% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 49% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 3% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 6% |
| > 10,000 employees | 3% |
Church musician jobs by company type
Employees with the church musician job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most church musicians prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Church musician jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 45% |
| Public | 7% |
| Private | 38% |
| Government | 10% |
Church musician jobs by industry
The most common industries for church musicians are non profits, education and government.
Church musician industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Non Profits | 52% |
| Education | 22% |
| Government | 5% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
Church musician turnover and employment statistics
Church musician unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for church musicians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Church musician unemployment rate by year
| Year | Church musician unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.36% |
| 2011 | 8.26% |
| 2012 | 8.21% |
| 2013 | 6.42% |
| 2014 | 6.38% |
| 2015 | 6.59% |
| 2016 | 4.13% |
| 2017 | 4.83% |
| 2018 | 5.95% |
| 2019 | 4.11% |
| 2020 | 14.74% |
| 2021 | 18.25% |
Average church musician tenure
The average church musician stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 428 church musicians resumes in Zippia's database.
Church musician tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 9% |
| 1-2 years | 19% |
| 3-4 years | 10% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 10% |
| 11+ years | 37% |
Church musician LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of church musicians that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Placing Judge | 5.42% | 51 |
| Professional Wrestler | 6.54% | 43,307 |
| Cheerleading Coach | 7.62% | 14,770 |
| Church Musician | 8.54% | - |
| Continuity Director | 13.74% | 4,903 |
| Sports Director | 14.31% | 13,106 |
| Music Composer | 30.45% | 3,788 |
Similar church musician jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Placing Judge | 5.42% | 51 |
| Professional Wrestler | 6.54% | 43,307 |
| Cheerleading Coach | 7.62% | 14,770 |
| Continuity Director | 13.74% | 4,903 |
| Sports Director | 14.31% | 13,106 |
| Music Composer | 30.45% | 3,788 |
Foreign languages spoken by church musicians
The most common foreign language among church musicians is Spanish at 64.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 21.4% and Mandarin is the third-most popular at 7.1%.
- Spanish, 64.3%
- French, 21.4%
- Mandarin, 7.1%
- Russian, 7.1%
Church musician languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 64.3% |
| French | 21.4% |
| Mandarin | 7.1% |
| Russian | 7.1% |
