Dance instructor/choreographer vs private music teacher

The differences between dance instructor/choreographers and private music teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a dance instructor/choreographer and a private music teacher. Additionally, a private music teacher has an average salary of $53,216, which is higher than the $46,612 average annual salary of a dance instructor/choreographer.

The top three skills for a dance instructor/choreographer include dance classes, hip-hop dance and dance performances. The most important skills for a private music teacher are mathematics, language arts, and cello.

Dance instructor/choreographer vs private music teacher overview

	Dance Instructor/Choreographer	Private Music Teacher
Yearly salary	$46,612	$53,216
Hourly rate	$22.41	$25.58
Growth rate	12%	4%
Number of jobs	34,865	55,993
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Dance instructor/choreographer vs private music teacher salary

Dance instructor/choreographers and private music teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dance Instructor/Choreographer	Private Music Teacher
Average salary	$46,612	$53,216
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $71,000	Between $38,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Las Vegas, NV	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between dance instructor/choreographer and private music teacher education

There are a few differences between a dance instructor/choreographer and a private music teacher in terms of educational background:

	Dance Instructor/Choreographer	Private Music Teacher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Dance	Music
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Pennsylvania

Dance instructor/choreographer vs private music teacher demographics

Here are the differences between dance instructor/choreographers' and private music teachers' demographics:

	Dance Instructor/Choreographer	Private Music Teacher
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 21.9% Female, 78.1%	Male, 42.7% Female, 57.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 6.1% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between dance instructor/choreographer and private music teacher duties and responsibilities

Dance instructor/choreographer example responsibilities.

Lead children's classes, training kids in kicks, punches, self-defense and how to avoid physical confrontations.
Teach a full tap dance syllabus to all ages and all skill levels.
Prepare a syllabus for each class, stretching/warm-up students, teaching dance technique and routines.
Prepare and run all dance rehearsals.
Schedule and run rehearsals, re-serve rehearsal space and arrange for accompanists.
Teach dance/choreograph several classes including competition musical theatre, jazz, and Zumba.

Private music teacher example responsibilities.

Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
Challenge students to master basic math concepts through implementation of manipulative graphing, and charting exercises that develop problem-solving skills.
Challenge students to master basic math concepts through implementation of manipulative graphing, and charting exercises that develop problem-solving skills.

Dance instructor/choreographer vs private music teacher skills

Common dance instructor/choreographer skills

Dance Classes, 20%
Hip-Hop Dance, 13%
Dance Performances, 10%
Musical Theater, 7%
Dance Program, 4%
Dance Studio, 4%

Common private music teacher skills

Mathematics, 20%
Language Arts, 14%
Cello, 11%
In-Home, 8%
Music Theory, 6%
Piano Lessons, 5%

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Dance Instructor/Choreographer
Dance Instructor/Choreographer vs Private Music Teacher

Updated January 8, 2025

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