Mission Statement:
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
Position Summary:
Music Instructor will work with school director to schedule days of the week to teach and engage with children and adults.
Essential Functions:
Responsibilities:
+ Provide music lessons for all ages (children and adults).
+ Teach music theory.
+ Instruct students on how to use their instruments.
+ Assign homework and/or practice for students to take home.
Specific Duties:
+ To provide a well-rounded and comprehensive music education.
+ Teach ear training.
+ Teach correct instrument technique.
+ Teach reading music proficiently.
+ Instructing and encouraging students to play in ensembles.
+ Preparing students for public recitals.
Working Conditions:
Ability to walk, stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel and twist on an intermittent or sometimes continuous basis. Ability to grasp, push, pull objects such as files, file cabinet drawers, and reach overhead. Ability to operate computer, fax and telephone. Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.
Minimum Qualifications:
+ Must be 18 years of age.
+ Preferred AA or BA Degree in Music.
+ Driving Test and clean MVR check (if applicable).
+ Criminal background check is required with certification for Protect the Mission policies and procedures.
Skills, Knowledge & Abilities:
+ Ability to interact effectively with people of all ages, ethnic and cultural diversity.
+ Capability to work within a team environment.
+ Patience and adaptability.
+ Punctual.
Qualifications
Education
Preferred
+ Bachelors or better in Music
Licenses & Certifications
Preferred
+ Motor Vehicle Check
+ Driver's License
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)
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How to hire a music instructor
Music instructor hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring music instructors in the United States:
- The median cost to hire a music instructor is $1,633.
- It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
- HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
- Small businesses spend $1,105 per music instructor on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
- It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
- There are a total of 38,647 music instructors in the US, and there are currently 26,788 job openings in this field.
- New York, NY, has the highest demand for music instructors, with 11 job openings.
How to hire a music instructor, step by step
To hire a music instructor, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a music instructor, you should follow these steps:
Here's a step-by-step music instructor hiring guide:
- Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
- Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
- Step 3: Make a budget
- Step 4: Write a music instructor job description
- Step 5: Post your job
- Step 6: Interview candidates
- Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new music instructor
- Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
What does a music instructor do?
A Music Teacher instructs children and adults to sing or play instruments. They may teach lessons at school, train students at home, or conduct choir rehearsals.
Post a music instructor job for free, promote it for a fee
Identify your hiring needs
The music instructor hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.
Determine employee vs contractor statusIs the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?A music instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, music instructors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.
The following list breaks down different types of music instructors and their corresponding salaries.
Type of Music Instructor Description Hourly rate Music Instructor Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and career and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books. $16-46 Piano Teacher Piano Teachers are responsible for teaching piano lessons and sustaining student progress by explaining and demonstrating various piano techniques. They develop and execute class plans, and prepare course materials such as syllabi and homework assignments. $18-34 Teaching Artist A Teaching Artist is responsible for teaching knowledge and skills in art, including drawing, painting, lettering, and art history. They also develop, submit, and implement lesson plans. $18-53 Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:- Classroom Management
- Adaptive
- Fine Arts
- Music Program
- Instructional Materials
- Music Education
- Keyboard
- Syllabus
- Music Appreciation
- Brass
- Music History
- Music Curriculum
- K-12
- Music Theory
Responsibilities:- Direct camper band, lead collaborative songwriting, and organize performances.
- Accomplish building curriculum that do not exist in previous years focuse on Pre-K through 6th grade.
- Instruct musical skills and techniques to middle and high school students on the saxophone, clarinet, and flute.
- Apply classical/jazz saxophone and clarinet tutor
- Instruct in the fields of mathematics and the English language.
- Instruct children in songwriting, ensemble playing, and stage presence.
Make a budget
Including a salary range in your music instructor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A music instructor can vary based on:
- Location. For example, music instructors' average salary in west virginia is 53% less than in new york.
- Seniority. Entry-level music instructors 65% less than senior-level music instructors.
- Certifications. A music instructor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
- Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a music instructor's salary.
Average music instructor salary
$57,930yearly
$27.85 hourly rateEntry-level music instructor salary$34,000 yearly salaryUpdated December 28, 2025Average music instructor salary by state
Rank State Avg. salary Hourly rate 1 New York $76,286 $37 2 District of Columbia $75,859 $36 3 California $74,262 $36 4 Massachusetts $74,085 $36 5 Maryland $62,289 $30 6 Virginia $59,333 $29 7 Washington $56,970 $27 8 Florida $55,820 $27 9 Arizona $54,062 $26 10 Minnesota $53,717 $26 11 Hawaii $52,572 $25 12 Georgia $52,297 $25 13 Ohio $51,993 $25 14 Wisconsin $51,204 $25 15 Arkansas $50,622 $24 16 Mississippi $50,609 $24 17 Illinois $50,581 $24 18 Texas $49,161 $24 19 Nevada $45,273 $22 20 Kansas $40,053 $19 Average music instructor salary by company
Rank Company Average salary Hourly rate Job openings 1 Kern Community College District $124,370 $59.79 43 2 The New York Academy of Sciences $86,007 $41.35 3 UMiami Health System $84,182 $40.47 9 4 Loyola Marymount University $73,420 $35.30 18 5 PSEA $71,206 $34.23 41 6 The Chicago High School for the Arts $67,203 $32.31 13 7 Hawaii Pacific University $66,797 $32.11 8 SUNY Geneseo $65,629 $31.55 1 9 Victoria College $63,510 $30.53 15 10 College of the Holy Cross $63,142 $30.36 11 Wayne Community College $62,572 $30.08 12 Georgia State University $62,170 $29.89 4 13 Ohlone College $61,121 $29.39 14 Franklin & Marshall College $60,444 $29.06 15 Texas Tech University $59,000 $28.37 60 16 University of Indianapolis $57,209 $27.50 1 17 Bethel College, Mishawaka $55,370 $26.62 18 VVC Rams Bookstore $53,035 $25.50 5 19 MacPhail Center for Music $51,308 $24.67 3 20 The Hotchkiss School $50,167 $24.12 2 Writing a music instructor job description
A good music instructor job description should include a few things:
- Summary of the role
- List of responsibilities
- Required skills and experience
Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a music instructor job description:
Music instructor job description example
Post your job
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right music instructor for your business:
- Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
- Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
- Post your music instructor job on Zippia to find and attract quality music instructor candidates.
- Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
To successfully recruit music instructors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new music instructor
Once you've decided on a perfect music instructor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.
It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.
To prepare for the new music instructor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a music instructor?
Before you start to hire music instructors, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire music instructors pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.
You can expect to pay around $57,930 per year for a music instructor, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for music instructors in the US typically range between $16 and $46 an hour.
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Updated December 28, 2025