1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
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What is a Musician?
The duties of a musician include writing lyrics, rehearsing, performing, and recording new music every day. They may appear on TV shows and radio programs. Also, they keep themselves updated on industry trends, build strong relationships with other artists and their fans, and maintain a strong social media presence by posting regularly, creating relevant content, and interacting with their fans. Musicians collaborate with other artists and professionals in the entertainment industry. They may be trained in a particular musical genre and musical instrument.
To excel as a musician, you need to be relentless in your pursuit of mastery and creativity. You must strive to expand your circles. Although not necessary, having a degree in music can be advantageous. Also, you must possess communication, time management, and interpersonal skills. Having industry experience is a plus. Musicians make an average annual salary of $45,576. It ranges between $27,000 and $78,000.
To excel as a musician, you need to be relentless in your pursuit of mastery and creativity. You must strive to expand your circles. Although not necessary, having a degree in music can be advantageous. Also, you must possess communication, time management, and interpersonal skills. Having industry experience is a plus. Musicians make an average annual salary of $45,576. It ranges between $27,000 and $78,000.
What Does a Musician Do
Musicians and singers play instruments or sing for live audiences and in recording studios. They perform in a variety of styles, such as classical, jazz, opera, hip-hop, and rock.
How To Become a Musician
There are no postsecondary education requirements for musicians or singers interested in performing popular music. However, many performers of classical music and opera have at least a bachelor’s degree.
Career Path For a Musician
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a musician can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as music instructor, progress to a title such as instructor and then eventually end up with the title marketing manager.
Musician
Average Salary for a Musician
Musicians in America make an average salary of $57,257 per year or $28 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $127,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $25,000 per year.
Average Musician Salary
$57,257Â Yearly$27.53 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Musician
There are several types of musician, including:
Pianist
Role:
Pianists are musicians that entertain audiences with piano music. They may perform for live audiences in theatre productions, supermarkets, and hotels or work in a studio. Some may take up full-time teaching positions at schools and universities or provide private tutoring. They may be required to work with artists, songwriters, musicians, actors, and other professionals. Also, they understand project requirements and make themselves available for rehearsals, recitals, concerts, private tutoring sessions, or marketing events. Additionally, they oversee the maintenance of the piano and make arrangements for tuning and repairs.
Pianists are required to have a degree in music, musical theory, composition, or a required discipline. Some employers prefer a master's degree. They must possess time management and creativity skills. They can either get work on a contract basis or freelance. Also, they may work as musicians for TV, film, orchestras, or theater productions. Pianists' salary ranges from $33,497 to $64,381, with the average annual salary being $41,280.
Pianists are required to have a degree in music, musical theory, composition, or a required discipline. Some employers prefer a master's degree. They must possess time management and creativity skills. They can either get work on a contract basis or freelance. Also, they may work as musicians for TV, film, orchestras, or theater productions. Pianists' salary ranges from $33,497 to $64,381, with the average annual salary being $41,280.
- Average Salary: $53,479
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Accompanist
Role:
An Accompanist is a professional musician who provides musical accompaniment to dancers, singers, and other artists during performances or rehearsals. He/she plays a musical instrument (piano, guitar, or harp) while the other artist sings or dances. An accompanist can be hired to work in a school, theater, church, community choir, or even to work privately for a musician.
The role of an accompanist is greatly demanding because one needs to be attentive to the tiniest of details. You must be able to match the lead artist's style and be quick to react to their mistakes.
Essential skills to enable you to become a successful accompanist include interpersonal skills, sensitivity to performance elements (tempo, phrasing, tone, etc.), networking, and a broad musical range.
The work schedule of an accompanist is a very flexible one. Depending on the area of work, the schedule may be different every week. The late hours may be as a result of rehearsals and performances taking place at night or during the weekends.
The role of an accompanist is greatly demanding because one needs to be attentive to the tiniest of details. You must be able to match the lead artist's style and be quick to react to their mistakes.
Essential skills to enable you to become a successful accompanist include interpersonal skills, sensitivity to performance elements (tempo, phrasing, tone, etc.), networking, and a broad musical range.
The work schedule of an accompanist is a very flexible one. Depending on the area of work, the schedule may be different every week. The late hours may be as a result of rehearsals and performances taking place at night or during the weekends.
- Average Salary: $52,645
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Musician Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active musician jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where musicians earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average Salary: Job Openings:
Number Of Musician Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 22 | $79,675 |
| 2 | New York | 6 | $87,177 |
| 3 | Maryland | 5 | $58,941 |
| 4 | Arizona | 4 | $58,375 |
| 5 | Utah | 3 | $47,971 |
| 6 | Connecticut | 2 | $77,569 |
| 7 | Virginia | 2 | $60,254 |
| 8 | Texas | 2 | $52,468 |
| 9 | Georgia | 2 | $51,646 |
| 10 | Missouri | 2 | $39,845 |
| 11 | Colorado | 2 | $37,817 |
| 12 | West Virginia | 1 | $60,532 |
| 13 | Illinois | 1 | $68,311 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 1 | $51,614 |
| 15 | North Carolina | 1 | $52,712 |
| 16 | Minnesota | 1 | $53,249 |
| 17 | Oregon | 1 | $49,100 |
| 18 | Florida | 1 | $49,008 |
| 19 | Washington | 1 | $47,382 |
| 20 | Alaska | 0 | $83,629 |
| 21 | New Jersey | 0 | $84,559 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 0 | $74,530 |
| 23 | Vermont | 0 | $72,335 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | 0 | $65,713 |
| 25 | Michigan | 0 | $65,128 |
| 26 | Ohio | 0 | $61,105 |
| 27 | Iowa | 0 | $62,575 |
| 28 | Maine | 0 | $61,454 |
| 29 | Kansas | 0 | $58,984 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 0 | $60,823 |
| 31 | New Mexico | 0 | $57,959 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | 0 | $55,515 |
| 33 | Louisiana | 0 | $54,226 |
| 34 | Kentucky | 0 | $53,396 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | 0 | $54,912 |
| 36 | Indiana | 0 | $52,566 |
| 37 | South Carolina | 0 | $52,466 |
| 38 | North Dakota | 0 | $52,294 |
| 39 | Delaware | 0 | $53,729 |
| 40 | Arkansas | 0 | $50,409 |
| 41 | Hawaii | 0 | $55,195 |
| 42 | Mississippi | 0 | $50,156 |
| 43 | South Dakota | 0 | $48,810 |
| 44 | Nevada | 0 | $48,277 |
| 45 | Alabama | 0 | $47,787 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | 0 | $46,869 |
| 47 | Montana | 0 | $47,241 |
| 48 | Idaho | 0 | $45,681 |
| 49 | Wyoming | 0 | $43,514 |
| 50 | Nebraska | 0 | $38,834 |
Top Colleges for Musicians
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,340
Enrollment
5,301
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
Top Skills For a Musician
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 19.7% of musicians listed live performances on their resume, but soft skills such as discipline and musical talent are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Musician Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Musician templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Musician resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Musician diversity
Musician Gender Distribution
Male
80%
Female
20%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among musicians, 19.6% of them are women, while 80.4% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among musicians is White, which makes up 65.4% of all musicians.
- The most common foreign language among musicians is Spanish at 49.5%.
Online Courses For Musician That You May Like
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Best States For a Musician
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a musician. The best states for people in this position are New York, New Jersey, Alaska, and California. Musicians make the most in New York with an average salary of $87,177. Whereas in New Jersey and Alaska, they would average $84,559 and $83,629, respectively. While musicians would only make an average of $79,675 in California, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. New York
Total Musician Jobs: 6
Highest 10% Earn:
$172,000
Location Quotient:
2.15
$87,177
Avg. Salary
2. Connecticut
Total Musician Jobs: 2
Highest 10% Earn:
$158,000
Location Quotient:
2.78
$77,569
Avg. Salary
3. California
Total Musician Jobs: 22
Highest 10% Earn:
$162,000
Location Quotient:
3.47
$79,675
Avg. Salary
How Do Musicians Rate Their Jobs?
Musician Reviews
Pros
I have fun and I like to sing and playing guitar and see people and travel around the world
Cons
nothing at all love it
Pros
The thing I like the most is that I am able to express the real me through music, especially when I sing than in any other way....I am myself when I am working as a musician
Cons
I don't like when I can't give the best of me,when am singing or writting a song.
Top Musician Employers
Most Common Employers For Musician
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Independent Contractor | $89,810 | $43.18 | 4 |
| 2 | BB King's Orlando | $69,703 | $33.51 | 5 |
| 3 | Holland America Line | $61,150 | $29.40 | 12 |
| 4 | Piano | $57,710 | $27.75 | 6 |
| 5 | Carnival Cruise Line | $57,603 | $27.69 | 18 |
| 6 | USAF Police Alumni Association | $57,492 | $27.64 | 6 |
| 7 | St. James Church | $56,700 | $27.26 | 5 |
| 8 | *n/a* | $56,673 | $27.25 | 19 |
| 9 | Royal Caribbean International | $56,600 | $27.21 | 8 |
| 10 | United States Marine Corps | $56,385 | $27.11 | 17 |
Musician Videos
Career Advice on becoming a Musician/ Drummer by Nathan Curran (Tuggy) (Highlights)
Career Advice on becoming a Musician/ Drummer by Nathan Curran (Tuggy) (Full Version)
Career Advice on becoming a Musician/ Viola Player by Clare F (Highlights)
Becoming a Musician FAQs
How To Start A Music Career
You start a music career by creating a long-term plan and defining your success. The path to a successful music career is different for everyone. Some go viral on TikTok, and others spend years (maybe even decades) going on tours and playing local gigs. Before you get started, you need to define what you want your career to look like.
What Are The Best Gifts For A Musician?
The best gifts for a musician are instruments, music software, and other technical items. When buying a present for a musician, it is important to know what they already own and if any of their music-producing items need to be upgraded.
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.