Musician vs organist

The differences between musicians and organists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a musician and an organist. Additionally, a musician has an average salary of $57,257, which is higher than the $53,224 average annual salary of an organist.

The top three skills for a musician include live performances, keyboard and music theory. The most important skills for an organist are easter, music program, and church services.

Musician vs organist overview

	Musician	Organist
Yearly salary	$57,257	$53,224
Hourly rate	$27.53	$25.59
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	103	81
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Musician vs organist salary

Musicians and organists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Musician	Organist
Average salary	$57,257	$53,224
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $127,000	Between $26,000 And $106,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	Sanford Health	-
Best paying industry	Media	-

Differences between musician and organist education

There are a few differences between a musician and an organist in terms of educational background:

	Musician	Organist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Music	Music
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Stanford University

Musician vs organist demographics

Here are the differences between musicians' and organists' demographics:

	Musician	Organist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 80.4% Female, 19.6%	Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 5.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between musician and organist duties and responsibilities

Musician example responsibilities.

Accomplish placement in first group clarinet section.
Play trombone, trumpet, baritone saxophone, keyboard, rhythm guitar, and provide backup vocals.
Jazz, fusion, blues band.
Design and maintain Facebook, MySpace and Purevolume websites.
Record multiple EP's and work on a full-length album.
Act as a vacation bible school instructor in the summer months.

Organist example responsibilities.

Manage entire music program, schedule ministers, concerts, and prayer services.
Create PowerPoint presentations, documents, and spreadsheets for daily workings of the church.
Supply music throughout Sunday morning services as well as week day bible study and outside fellowships.
Collaborate with teachers and directors to assist in learning and memorization.
Collaborate with teachers and directors to assist in learning and memorization.

Musician vs organist skills

Common musician skills

Live Performances, 20%
Keyboard, 11%
Music Theory, 6%
Synthesizers, 6%
DJ, 4%
Saxophone, 4%

Common organist skills

Easter, 17%
Music Program, 15%
Church Services, 13%
Choral Music, 13%
Pianos, 10%
Catholic Church, 6%

Musician vs. similar jobs

Musician related careers

Musician related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Industry
Musician
Musician vs Organist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs