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Musician vs recording artist

The differences between musicians and recording artists 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 a recording artist. Additionally, a musician has an average salary of $57,257, which is higher than the $53,291 average annual salary of a recording artist.

The top three skills for a musician include live performances, keyboard and music theory. The most important skills for a recording artist are R, event planning, and music videos.

Musician vs recording artist overview

MusicianRecording Artist
Yearly salary$57,257$53,291
Hourly rate$27.53$25.62
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs1033,745
Job satisfaction55
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age4545
Years of experience44

Musician vs recording artist salary

Musicians and recording artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

MusicianRecording Artist
Average salary$57,257$53,291
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $127,000Between $22,000 And $124,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NY-
Highest paying stateNew York-
Best paying companySanford Health-
Best paying industryMedia-

Differences between musician and recording artist education

There are a few differences between a musician and a recording artist in terms of educational background:

MusicianRecording Artist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorMusicMusic
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyStanford University

Musician vs recording artist demographics

Here are the differences between musicians' and recording artists' demographics:

MusicianRecording Artist
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 80.4% Female, 19.6%Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 5.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between musician and recording artist 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.
  • Show more

Recording artist example responsibilities.

  • Manage, perform and record music feature on MTV, national radio.
  • Assist costumes designer with material selections.
  • Maintain gear, costumes and props.
  • Perform poetry, organize skits, and act.
  • Design album art, facebook cover photos, and enhance branding of the group.
  • Execute multiple shows, daily and weekly, and proficient at the memorization of lines.
  • Show more

Musician vs recording artist skills

Common musician skills
  • Live Performances, 20%
  • Keyboard, 11%
  • Music Theory, 6%
  • Synthesizers, 6%
  • DJ, 4%
  • Saxophone, 4%
Common recording artist skills
  • R, 28%
  • Event Planning, 11%
  • Music Videos, 7%
  • Live Performances, 7%
  • Songwriting, 5%
  • YouTube, 5%

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