Music educator vs performing artist

The differences between music educators and performing artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a music educator and a performing artist. Additionally, a performing artist has an average salary of $49,715, which is higher than the $45,904 average annual salary of a music educator.

The top three skills for a music educator include music education, classroom management and K-12. The most important skills for a performing artist are private parties, poetry, and facebook.

Music educator vs performing artist overview

	Music Educator	Performing Artist
Yearly salary	$45,904	$49,715
Hourly rate	$22.07	$23.90
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	9,533	3,609
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Music educator vs performing artist salary

Music educators and performing artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Music Educator	Performing Artist
Average salary	$45,904	$49,715
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $66,000	Between $20,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between music educator and performing artist education

There are a few differences between a music educator and a performing artist in terms of educational background:

	Music Educator	Performing Artist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	General Education, Specific Areas	Music
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Music educator vs performing artist demographics

Here are the differences between music educators' and performing artists' demographics:

	Music Educator	Performing Artist
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 46.8% Female, 53.2%	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 11.2% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between music educator and performing artist duties and responsibilities

Music educator example responsibilities.

Manage revolving caseload of students with IEP team including initials, transfer placements, manifestation determinations.
Play for several pit orchestras for drama productions.
Incorporate the teaching philosophies of Orff, Kodaly and Dalcroze.
Provide vocal instruction for drama students with singing roles in the yearly school musical.
General music classes in singing, folk dancing, Orff instruments, and music literacy through a multicultural and interdisciplinary program.
Design PowerPoint presentations enhancing educational environment.

Performing artist example responsibilities.

Lead an outreach art program in a public school in the Bronx for 4th and 5th grade students.
Experience in songwriting and playing for private events, festivals, churches, and local music venues.
Conceptualize and develop terrain models using Maya and partner with director and animators to correspond and produce effective shots.
Prepare PowerPoint presentations for lectures and workshops.

Music educator vs performing artist skills

Common music educator skills

Music Education, 29%
Classroom Management, 14%
K-12, 7%
Music Theory, 6%
Public Schools, 5%
Music Curriculum, 4%

Common performing artist skills

Private Parties, 33%
Poetry, 15%
Facebook, 9%
Event Planning, 8%
Sketch, 5%
Music Videos, 5%

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Music Educator vs Performing Artist

Updated January 8, 2025

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