Musician demographics and statistics in the US
Musician demographics research summary. Zippia estimates musician demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our musician estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about musicians after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 9,603 musicians currently employed in the United States.
- 19.6% of all musicians are women, while 80.4% are men.
- The average musician age is 44 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of musicians is White (65.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.9%), Black or African American (10.9%) and Asian (5.4%).
- Musicians are most in-demand in Quantico, VA.
- The media industry is the highest-paying for musicians.
- New York, NY pays an annual average wage of $88,795, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women musicians earned 95% of what men earned.
- 9% of all musicians are LGBT.
- New York is the best state for musicians to live.
- Musicians are 60% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Musician demographics by:
Musician gender statistics
19.6% of musicians are women and 80.4% of musicians are men.
- Male, 80.4%
- Female, 19.6%
Musician gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 80.4% |
| Female | 19.6% |
Musician gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$59,023
Female income
$56,118
Musician gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in musician positions over time. Currently, 19.6% of musicians are female.
Musician gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 76.22% | 23.78% |
| 2011 | 75.26% | 24.74% |
| 2012 | 75.79% | 24.21% |
| 2013 | 77.37% | 22.63% |
| 2014 | 77.68% | 22.32% |
| 2015 | 77.49% | 22.51% |
| 2016 | 78.96% | 21.04% |
| 2017 | 76.87% | 23.13% |
| 2018 | 79.89% | 20.11% |
| 2019 | 81.78% | 18.22% |
| 2020 | 76.03% | 23.97% |
| 2021 | 80.41% | 19.59% |
Musician related jobs gender ratio
We compared musicians with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, 19d cavalry scout and baseball player have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Harpist | 8% | 92% |
| Actress | 8% | 92% |
| Modern Dancer | 8% | 92% |
| Musician | 80% | 20% |
| Assistant Varsity Football Coach | 98% | 2% |
| Baseball Player | 98% | 2% |
| 19D Cavalry Scout | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Musician demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among musicians is White, which makes up 65.4% of all musicians. Comparatively, 12.9% of musicians are Hispanic or Latino and 10.9% of musicians are Black or African American.
- White, 65.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 12.9%
- Black or African American, 10.9%
- Asian, 5.4%
- Unknown, 5.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Musician race
| Musician race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 65.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.9% |
| Black or African American | 10.9% |
| Asian | 5.4% |
| Unknown | 5.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Musician race and ethnicity over time
See how musician racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Musician race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.38% | 11.67% | 4.92% | 10.71% |
| 2011 | 68.97% | 13.03% | 4.23% | 10.89% |
| 2012 | 69.28% | 12.36% | 4.08% | 11.04% |
| 2013 | 71.51% | 9.79% | 4.50% | 11.10% |
| 2014 | 67.47% | 12.04% | 5.21% | 12.32% |
| 2015 | 70.76% | 10.18% | 4.82% | 11.59% |
| 2016 | 70.81% | 10.69% | 4.71% | 11.08% |
| 2017 | 69.81% | 11.01% | 4.64% | 11.77% |
| 2018 | 66.89% | 11.54% | 5.93% | 12.24% |
| 2019 | 69.89% | 10.15% | 5.27% | 11.71% |
| 2020 | 64.94% | 10.22% | 6.02% | 13.67% |
| 2021 | 65.44% | 10.94% | 5.45% | 12.91% |
Musician wage gap by race
According to our data, white musicians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american musicians have the lowest average salary at $55,743.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $59,862 |
| White | $60,500 |
| Black or African American | $55,743 |
| Asian | $60,038 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $59,102 |
Average musician age
See how the average age of musicians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Musician age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 43 | |
| White | 43.5 | 55 |
| Black or African American | 35 | |
| Asian | 35 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 31 |
Musician age breakdown
The average age of musicians is 40+ years years old, representing 55% of the musician population.
Musician age breakdown
| Musician Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 55% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Musician educational attainment
The most common degree for musicians is bachelor's degree, with 61% of musicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 13% and high school diploma degree at 13%.
- Bachelor's, 61%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Associate, 13%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Musicians by degree level
| Musician degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 61% |
| High School Diploma | 13% |
| Associate | 13% |
| Master's | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Musician jobs you might like
Musician wage gap by degree level
According to the data, musicians with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $67,782 annually. With a Associate degree, musicians earn a median annual income of $60,547 compared to $54,545 for musicians with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,782 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $52,701 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,545 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $60,547 |
Musician employment statistics
Most musicians work for a private in the non profits industry.
Company size where musicians work
Below, you can see the size of companies where musicians work.
Musician jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 11% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 33% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 27% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 15% |
| > 10,000 employees | 8% |
Musician jobs by company type
Employees with the musician job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most musicians prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Musician jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 22% |
| Public | 12% |
| Private | 60% |
| Government | 6% |
Musician jobs by industry
The most common industries for musicians are non profits, education and media.
Musician industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Non Profits | 34% |
| Education | 14% |
| Media | 11% |
| Hospitality | 7% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Government | 4% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Musician turnover and employment statistics
Musician unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for musicians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Musician unemployment rate by year
| Year | Musician unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.36% |
| 2011 | 8.26% |
| 2012 | 8.21% |
| 2013 | 6.42% |
| 2014 | 6.38% |
| 2015 | 6.59% |
| 2016 | 4.13% |
| 2017 | 4.83% |
| 2018 | 5.95% |
| 2019 | 4.11% |
| 2020 | 14.74% |
| 2021 | 18.25% |
Average musician tenure
The average musician stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 10,656 musicians resumes in Zippia's database.
Musician tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 8% |
| 1-2 years | 16% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 10% |
| 11+ years | 38% |
Musician LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of musicians that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Softball Umpire | 5.42% | 308 |
| Horseman | 6.54% | 67 |
| Baseball Instructor | 7.62% | 30,396 |
| Musician | 8.54% | - |
| Stuntman | 13.74% | 140 |
| Radio Producer | 14.31% | 11,453 |
| Band Director | 30.45% | 5,378 |
Similar musician jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Softball Umpire | 5.42% | 308 |
| Horseman | 6.54% | 67 |
| Baseball Instructor | 7.62% | 30,396 |
| Stuntman | 13.74% | 140 |
| Radio Producer | 14.31% | 11,453 |
| Band Director | 30.45% | 5,378 |
Foreign languages spoken by musicians
The most common foreign language among musicians is Spanish at 49.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.9% and German is the third-most popular at 8.1%.
- Spanish, 49.5%
- French, 16.9%
- German, 8.1%
- Portuguese, 3.7%
- Italian, 3.2%
- Other, 18.6%
Musician languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 49.5% |
| French | 16.9% |
| German | 8.1% |
| Portuguese | 3.7% |
| Italian | 3.2% |
| Other | 18.6% |
