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What is a music copyist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a music copyist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $29.65 an hour? That's $61,662 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 2,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreMusic CopyistUS Average
Salary
-

Avg. Salary $61,662

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
-

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
-
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 5.27%

Black or African American 5.62%

Hispanic or Latino 9.49%

Unknown 4.75%

White 74.69%

Gender

female 24.00%

male 76.00%

Age - 41
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 - 41

Key steps to become a music copyist

  1. Explore music copyist education requirements

    Most common music copyist degrees

    Bachelor's

    70.6 %

    Master's

    23.5 %

    High School Diploma

    5.9 %
  2. Complete relevant music copyist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New music copyists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a music copyist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real music copyist resumes.
  3. Research music copyist duties and responsibilities

    • Research tracks to correct and verify tracklists for online DJ mixes -Discover and upload new DJ mixes -Create and manage DJ profiles
    • Volunteer position, organize sectional times/places with sectional leaders, run sectionals within rehearsals, conduct professional orchestra
    • Use computers and synthesizers to compose, orchestrate, and arrange music.
  4. Prepare your music copyist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your music copyist 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 music copyist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable music copyist resume templates

    Build a professional music copyist 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 music copyist resume.
    Music Copyist Resume
    Music Copyist Resume
    Music Copyist Resume
    Music Copyist Resume
    Music Copyist Resume
    Music Copyist Resume
    Music Copyist Resume
    Music Copyist Resume
    Music Copyist Resume
  5. Apply for music copyist jobs

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

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

How did you land your first music copyist job

Zippi

Are you a music copyist?

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Average music copyist salary

The average music copyist salary in the United States is $61,662 per year or $30 per hour. Music copyist salaries range between $29,000 and $130,000 per year.

Average music copyist salary
$61,662 Yearly
$29.65 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do music copyists rate their job?

5/5

Based on 2 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Music copyist reviews

profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2021
Pros

Writing or copying music is like playing the music i'm copying.

Cons

When notes I wrote is wrong.


profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019
Pros

Great music exists when the audience experiences the passion of the Composer. My favorite aspect of my job is handing a beautifully crafted, clean score to a director before they were expecting it.

Cons

I've given this many hours of thought in the past, and the only possible negative is when my employers do not follow our established contract.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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