How to hire a music teacher

How to hire a music teacher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step music teacher 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 teacher job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new music teacher
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a music teacher do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The music teacher 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 status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A music teacher's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, music teachers 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.

   This list presents music teacher salaries for various positions.

   Type of Music Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   Music Teacher	Kindergarten and elementary school teachers prepare younger students for future schooling by teaching them basic subjects such as math and reading.	$18-33
   Elementary School Teacher	Elementary school teachers are trained to provide education to children from kindergarten through fifth grade. The teachers are responsible for children's emotional and educational growth in the classroom... Show more	$17-34
   5th Grade Teacher	A 5th Grade Teacher is responsible for educating children and teaching them subjects like math, English, science, or art. They work in a public or private school at the elementary level.	$15-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Classroom Management
   • Professional Development
   • Music Education
   • Kindergarten
   • Music Program
   • Student Learning
   • K-12
   • Public Schools
   • K-5
   • Instructional Materials
   • K-8
   • Pre-K
   • Fine Arts
   • Music History

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Direct, choreograph and manage school musical production of Willy Wonka, Jr.
   • Accomplish building curriculum that do not exist in previous years focuse on Pre-K through 6th grade.
   • Implement and develop program for general music for k-5, choral music and music appreciation for middle school-age students.
   • Teach kids, teenagers and young adults art of drama and acting.
   • Develop introductory music instruction for multiple instruments and group classes in beginning guitar and keyboard.
   • Grade levels k-8 teaching general music classes.

   More music teacher duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your music teacher job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A music teacher can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, music teachers' average salary in arizona is 46% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level music teachers 46% less than senior-level music teachers.
   • Certifications. A music teacher 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 teacher's salary.

   Average music teacher salary

   $51,978yearly

   $24.99 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level music teacher salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average music teacher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$67,695	$33
   2	District of Columbia	$66,772	$32
   3	New York	$64,480	$31
   4	Maryland	$62,362	$30
   5	California	$58,157	$28
   6	Ohio	$53,781	$26
   7	Illinois	$51,569	$25
   8	Georgia	$51,166	$25
   9	Michigan	$50,267	$24
   10	Minnesota	$46,813	$23
   11	Texas	$46,812	$23
   12	Florida	$44,252	$21
   13	New Mexico	$43,627	$21
   14	Colorado	$41,266	$20
   15	Mississippi	$40,718	$20
   16	Nevada	$39,969	$19
   17	Arizona	$36,632	$18

   Average music teacher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of California-Berkeley	$93,612	$45.01	7
   2	Tucson Electric Power	$91,007	$43.75
   3	Yale University	$89,325	$42.94
   4	Ethical Culture Fieldston School	$77,008	$37.02	5
   5	The Browning School	$76,878	$36.96	1
   6	Northeastern University	$74,404	$35.77	4
   7	Academy of Art University	$73,388	$35.28
   8	The New York Academy of Sciences	$72,946	$35.07
   9	York Prep School	$72,932	$35.06
   10	Rutgers University	$70,002	$33.65	8
   11	School of the Art Institute of Chicago	$69,151	$33.25
   12	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	$68,778	$33.07
   13	Rowan University	$68,382	$32.88	1
   14	Boston College	$67,000	$32.21
   15	The Bryn Mawr School	$66,819	$32.12
   16	University of Michigan	$66,754	$32.09	1
   17	Community School of Music and Arts	$66,248	$31.85
   18	Chatham Hall	$64,663	$31.09
   19	Savannah College of Art and Design	$63,690	$30.62
   20	St. Mary’s Center	$63,557	$30.56

4. Writing a music teacher job description

   A music teacher job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a music teacher job description:

   Music teacher job description example

   Earn a $125,000 salary and join a team of master teachers at , featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and on 60 minutes for its revolutionary teacher salaries and its outstanding results.
   
   The Equity Project is deeply committed to music instruction, evident in the fact that TEP students learn music every day! The Equity Project treats music as a full-fledged subject (such as English or Math), and NOT as an add-on elective meant to supplement other subjects. TEP middle school students study general music in 5th grade; this includes singing instruction, basic instrumental instruction, rhythm and musical notation, and music history. Students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades currently specialize in one of the following tracks: chorus, band, or piano. Students in each track spend their daily music period engaging in formal voice or instrumental instruction and practicing in their ensemble, while also continuing to develop their music literacy skills.
   Join us for an in-person info session!
   
   If you or a friend is interested in applying for a teaching position at TEP, join us for an in-person information session with TEP's Principal Zeke Vanderhoek. Take a tour of the school and learn more about the teacher application process and what it's like to teach at TEP.
   
   Requirements
   
   Each position requires a minimum of 3 years of lead teaching experience, at least 2 of which must have been in 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th or 9th grade classrooms. Each The Equity Project middle school teacher teaches one subject to one grade level in any given year (e.g. 6th grade Science). However, TEP teachers may switch grade levels and/or subjects from one year to the next.
   
   Benefits
   
   Master teachers earn an annual salary of $125,000 with the opportunity to earn an annual bonus . Benefits include medical, dental, vision insurance, 403b retirement plan, STD, LTD and Life Insurance. Individuals in the position also receive all school vacations - approximately 10 weeks per year.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right music teacher for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with music teachers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit music teachers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your music teacher job on Zippia to find and recruit music teacher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit music teachers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new music teacher

   Once you've found the music teacher candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new music teacher. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. 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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