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Job outlook for guitar instructors in the United States
Guitar instructor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected guitar instructor job growth rate is 19% from 2018-2028.
About 57,800 new jobs for guitar instructors are projected over the next decade.
Guitar instructor salaries have increased 7% for guitar instructors in the last 5 years.
There are over 11,526 guitar instructors currently employed in the United States.
There are 24,514 active guitar instructor job openings in the US.
The average guitar instructor salary is $46,506.
Are guitar instructor jobs in demand?
Guitar instructor job and salary trends over time
Guitar instructor jobs over time
Guitar instructor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11,526 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 11,833 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 13,432 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 12,916 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 12,684 | 0.00% |
Average guitar instructor salary over time
Guitar instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $46,506 | $22.36 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | $45,610 | $21.93 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | $45,063 | $21.66 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | $44,737 | $21.51 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | $43,445 | $20.89 | +1.8% |
Guitar instructor jobs by state
Most common states for guitar instructors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 492 | 9% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 45 | 8% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 576 | 7% |
| 4 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 353 | 7% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 66 | 7% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 52 | 7% |
| 7 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 657 | 6% |
| 8 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 627 | 6% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 248 | 6% |
| 10 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 66 | 6% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 420 | 5% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 161 | 5% |
| 13 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 34 | 5% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 30 | 5% |
| 15 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,673 | 4% |
| 16 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 410 | 4% |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 306 | 4% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 127 | 4% |
| 19 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 53 | 4% |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 48 | 4% |
Most common cities for guitar instructors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia | 1 | 1% | $40,067 |
| 2 | Lubbock | 1 | 0% | $42,103 |
Guitar Instructor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of guitar instructor experts
Texas Christian University
Wright State University
Northern Seminary
Franklin and Marshall College
University of Mount Union
Kent State University
Northwestern University
Youngstown State University
University of Idaho
New York University
University of West Georgia
Boise State University
Linfield University
Kalee Appleton
Assistant Professor of ArtTexas Christian University
College of Fine Arts
What skills will help Guitar Instructors earn the most?
Kalee Appleton: Having a strong, personal portfolio. Having the ability to create a cohesive body of photographs that have a concept and good technique. In other words, being an exceptionally good fine art photographer is vital to be considered for high-paying positions.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Guitar Instructors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Karla Huebner Ph.D.: Salaries are generally low, but now and then, artists and art historians can make good incomes--don't expect to.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Guitar Instructor job market given the pandemic?
Rev. Tracey Bianchi: In pastoral ministry, the pandemic has forced many religious institutions and organizations to deliver worship and other elements of spiritual practice online. How faith-based communities do everything from weddings to funerals to worship services has shifted online. While churches and other religious gatherings must continue to employ pastors and still need ordained leaders, the job market has shifted to favor those who also have skills in producing and creating rich online content. Churches with resources are now pivoting to hire content managers and production teams who can help shape and craft meaningful online content that is easy to deliver.
What general advice would you give to a Guitar Instructor?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Keep open to possibilities beyond the narrow range of what your diploma lists as your major or minor. Whatever job you get trained for today, in 10-20 years, it may be very different. Or it may not exist. Focus on obtaining and maintaining flexibility, critical thinking, creativity, and passion for learning. Being an interesting person is as vital as any credential.
Dr. Jerome Miksell
Professor (Musicianship, Technology, Viola), Department ChairUniversity of Mount Union
Music Department
What experience really stands out on Guitar Instructor resumes?
Dr. Jerome Miksell: The short answer is an experience that is similar to the desired job and place. This is undoubtedly true of very specialized university jobs.
In the performance world, a resume for entry-level jobs is a secondary matter. Your playing ability matters first and foremost. For example, most symphony orchestra auditions are blind, and resumes are not looked at until the final round.
For someone interested in music, sales experience with the products is critical.
What Guitar Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Jerome Miksell: An aspiring performer should be practicing and looking for performance opportunities. I would also recommend travel that might enhance understanding of a particular style of music.
Those interested in business opportunities could consider finding a part-time job in a music store.
What type of skills will young Guitar Instructors need?
Dr. Jay Dorfman: Students entering the music education field need to be well-versed in varied types of music teaching. More and more, we are seeing teachers being asked to teach outside of their music specialty areas. For example, For example, a teacher focused on teaching band might be assigned to teach orchestra or general music. In our programs at Kent State, we account for both breadth and depth so that students are well prepared for whatever comes their way.
How do you envision technology impacting Guitar Instructors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Jay Dorfman: Technology permeates everything teachers do. Pandemic conditions have made this even more apparent. Music teachers must be comfortable with technology for administering their classrooms, and critical that they can engage their students in meaningful music, creating experiences that involve technology. Those are not easy things to do, and teachers should receive adequate professional development to help them.
What experience really stands out on Guitar Instructor resumes?
Helen Callus: It depends on what kinds of position you are applying for, and for performance students, it's going to be playing or teaching mostly. I recommend that students tailor their resumes to suit the positions, so teaching should be prioritized, and the outline should lead to that. I encourage them to put together their overview and then look at gaps - teaching experience, perhaps some administrative experiences that are always helpful.
If they don't have those things, actively search for them to add that line to their resumes. It can be a terrific way to develop the document in ways that can lead to better job success. A range of skills is most likely to appeal to a broader set of jobs. Doing multiple things (things we don't even realize we do, as musicians, daily) can be helpful. The student is then willing to be creative and open to start out doing things that are related but perhaps not their first choice.
What Guitar Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Helen Callus: A gap year is a terrific way to build a resume. By looking at where there might be a lack of experience like competitions, teaching, administration, summer festival interns, assistantships - they can focus their time and build their resumes well. I also think being creative in these current times, showing that you have experience teaching remotely, making a studio, creating a website, writing an article, and doing research that could be helpful later on. You could also spend the time preparing repertoire to teach or take auditions and make your first recording and video YouTube performance.
What experience really stands out on Guitar Instructor resumes?
Dragana Crnjak: Real-life - outside of the classroom - experiences always stand out, such as exhibitions, internships, museum assistantships, public art projects, community projects, etc. We encourage students to participate in many different activities throughout their college years with a range of experiences provided from exhibiting independently, in group exhibits, working on collaborative projects, community public art projects (such as the mural class this semester where students were involved in all stages of decision-making, from sketching and ideation, communication, site preparation, and painting, writing art proposals, etc.), internships, etc. Problem-solving and critical thinking skills are essential to all art projects and processes, and these skills not only contribute well to so many professions and fields, but they are also life-lasting skills that develop creative, engaged, and open-minded thinkers and citizens.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Guitar Instructors?
Dragana Crnjak: This year brought many challenges, many drastically changing the ways artists and art institutions operate. The biggest challenge, perhaps, is that we don't know what are the long-term impacts, yet. Interesting is that on the one hand, the restrictions have opened potentials in expanded and vibrant global communication and online collaborations among artists. On the other hand, with these connections more available, I believe, artists are starting to build even stronger relationships with their neighborhoods, communities, regions, and, I hope, we start investing ourselves more fully to this self-sustainable kind of thinking, to create opportunities that will sustain and expand the quality of life and culture locally. We have already seen artists adapting and finding new ways to communicate and do work. I am sincerely optimistic that artists, with the skills I mentioned previously, will keep leading discoveries and finding innovative ways to stay creative.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Guitar Instructors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Lori Khan: As you may know, there is a nation-wide shortage of teachers, and especially in our area, there is a severe shortage of qualified music educators. We have seen music positions go unfilled, sometimes for more than a year, in our rural areas, which is devastating to the continuance of any program in the Arts. Most of our students have jobs when they graduate, or very shortly after. This trend will continue as we see educators leaving the field through the ravages of COVID 19.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Guitar Instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Lori Khan: Jobs are available both in the public school systems and in charter and private schools. Most of my contacts are in the Pacific North West, and this continues to be the right area for young Music Education graduates looking for their first placement.
Marlene McCarty
Clinical Professor of Visual ArtsNew York University
Department of Art and Art Professions
What type of skills will young Guitar Instructors need?
Marlene McCarty: Creative and entrepreneurial thinking will be the cornerstone of what is needed for the future. As we look to an ever more uncertain future, the ability to imagine the not-yet-imagined will be of utmost importance. The ability to envision something wholly new, paired with the competence to make that thing manifest in the world, will be highly sought-after. Luckily, for art students, understanding how to make something not-yet-imagined forms the foundation of creative practice. The other attribute that will be increasingly regarded as an advantage will be a healthy curiosity and openness paired with nuanced inclusion (not appropriation) of varied and rich cultures outside one's own. As a bridge across cultures, visual art is transformational to our understanding of difficulty and times of crisis, representing independent thinking at the heart of democracy.
What type of skills will young Guitar Instructors need?
Ye Chen Ph.D.: Graduates with educational technology (Ed Tech) degrees commonly work as instructional designers, technology/media specialists, trainers, e-learning developers in k12 school, university, military, company, or government. The skills employers usually want in Ed Tech graduates include:
- Instructional design skills for analyzing instructional needs and designing & developing effective instructional solutions.
- Technical skills in utilizing technology to develop and implement instruction. At the same time, they are expected to understand how to integrate technology into instructional settings in a pedagogically meaningful way.
- Communication skills are essential as their work roles heavily rely on effective communication with content experts, clients, trainees/students, etc. throughout the instructional design process
Dr. Lori Gray
Associate Professor: Director of Music EducationBoise State University
Department of Music Education
What type of skills will young Guitar Instructors need?
Dr. Lori Gray: For the past several years, it has been clear that employers are seeking graduates with 21st Century Learning Skills (critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration). The four Cs of 21st Century Learning frequently come up during reference calls on my end and interviews for our recent graduates.
I would add that graduates need a strong work ethic, an understanding of professionalism and respect in the workplace, and self-awareness and an understanding of personal needs and limitations both at work and in their personal lives. In these current living conditions during a global pandemic (COVID-19), graduates also need resilience, perseverance, adaptability, and flexibility. These are all skills I would want for our Music Education majors to cultivate, as the climate in K-12 Education is ever-changing. However, I believe these are all skills that would be useful in any new career path.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Guitar Instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Lori Gray: The unfortunate reality is that there is a teacher shortage across the United States. However, this can be positive for graduates seeking jobs in Education. Even with a teacher shortage, graduates need to maintain a realistic view of the job market and be flexible in where they are willing to live. The job search process will be quite challenging if graduates limit themselves to one town or a particular job type. I urge our Music Education majors to be open-minded about the kinds of jobs they are willing to consider and explore a few locations.
How do you envision technology impacting Guitar Instructors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Lori Gray: Technology will continue to expand the ways we connect with and engage with our broader community. Both K-12 and higher Education have required additional technology tools to adjust to teaching and learning during a global pandemic (COVID-19). While the rapid shift to remote teaching and learning has been challenging for teachers and learners, some positive changes have occurred. For example, in higher Education, shifting to online platforms allowed for greater accessibility for various learners who needed to miss class in the past due to a personal or family obligation.
The option to join via an online platform instead of face-to-face allows for more flexibility for student learning and engagement. I plan to continue to offer online options for students. For example, I may offer a variety of face-to-face and virtual office hours to assist students who may need a virtual option in the future. In Music Education, there are technology tools that enhance student learning experiences and provide diverse learning and assessment opportunities in the classroom. Future Music Teachers will be expected to be familiar with and skilled in Music Technology and how technology tools can be utilized to enhance teaching and learning in K-12 music classrooms.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Guitar Instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Carrie Kondor: Still, I can say that I believe graduates will find more job possibilities than before, given the broader continuum of teaching environments that this pandemic has opened up!