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Job outlook for percussionists in the United States
Are percussionist jobs in demand?
Percussionist job and salary trends over time
Percussionist jobs over time
Percussionist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 315 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 455 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 539 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 546 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 526 | 0.00% |
Average percussionist salary over time
Percussionist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $52,924 | $25.44 | +4.0% |
| 2025 | $50,867 | $24.46 | +5.4% |
| 2024 | $48,270 | $23.21 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $47,224 | $22.70 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $45,943 | $22.09 | +2.1% |
Percussionist jobs by state
Most common states for percussionists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 39,536,653 | 8 | 0% |
| 2 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1 | 0% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1 | 0% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 0 | 0% |
| 6 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 0 | 0% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 0 | 0% |
| 8 | New York | 19,849,399 | 0 | 0% |
| 9 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 0 | 0% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 0 | 0% |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 0 | 0% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 13 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 0 | 0% |
| 14 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Vermont | 623,657 | 0 | 0% |
| 16 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 0 | 0% |
| 18 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 0 | 0% |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 0 | 0% |
| 20 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 0 | 0% |
Percussionist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of percussionist experts
Arkansas State University
Susquehanna University
Occidental College
Liberty University
Augsburg University
Davidson College
Salem College
Hartwick College
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Percussionist job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Kristin Leitterman: The arts organizations have been severely hit from the pandemic and unfortunately, many may find themselves gone after the dust settles. With that said, this next year for new graduates in the arts sector is going to be very tough. The biggest trend in the job market immediately is going to be that jobs are gone because of the pandemic.
What skills stand out on Percussionist resumes?
Dr. Kristin Leitterman: The organizations that have figured out how to continue going about business during this time have generally moved into a virtual environment, making it necessary to seek out people that have skills in social media, video and audio recording, audio and video editing, as well as the ability to live stream to many different platforms. All of these skills will help graduates survive in the post-pandemic world. They will not only help graduates seeking to do this very thing, but also newly-minted teachers and performers. Schools will be looking to hire teachers that can adapt when needed and be able to give their students experiences, even if it is a non-standard classroom. Performers will need these skills to be able to market themselves, especially when performing together safely is not an option.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Percussionists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Kristin Leitterman: For the arts, there isn't necessarily a "good place" to find work because we tend to go where the jobs are. With that said, the typical major metropolitan areas, such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc., are generally where the larger organizations are that will be less hurt from the pandemic, and ones that would potentially be looking to add more jobs in this next year. These jobs, however, will take some time as many of these arts organizations are not planning to have a season until Fall 2021 at the earliest.
The next few years are probably going to be the hardest that graduates in the arts are going to face when looking for jobs, but in time the arts will bounce back.
Adrienne Rodriguez Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Music, Coordinator of Music EducationSusquehanna University
Music Department
What type of skills will young Percussionists need?
Adrienne Rodriguez Ph.D.: The most important thing to embrace when thinking about entering the workforce in the coming years is adaptability. We need to critically examine what positive approaches and skills we have developed during the pandemic that can continue to benefit workplaces after the pandemic. This is a great time to consider what is working and what is not in our professions. In general, technology skills, creative problem solving, and networkability in our increasingly interconnected world will be paramount.
What general advice would you give to a Percussionist?
Gloria Lum: Music has changed drastically in the past year due to the pandemic. Because it has not been possible to perform in person in front of groups, many musicians have learned how to use the online space to perform and teach. A recent graduate in the field of music also needs to understand how to operate their own business in the sense that they will most probably have a career that will consist of a combination of performing in some group or solo, teaching at a school or privately, and the willingness to do other jobs to help them round out their career.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Percussionists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Gloria Lum: The salary prospects for a student graduating in music are varied. There are no ready-made jobs to walk into, as there may be in other fields. The most reliable financial path is to audition for an orchestra, and the competition is fierce. And right now, few orchestras are hiring, much less working. The majority of graduating students will have to find income from many different sources as they build their contacts. In music, one's reputation as a good, reliable player is the surest way to develop connections and get gigs in a freelance world. Music is not one that you enter unless you are motivated by the overwhelming desire to play music and connect with others through that medium. It is not an easy career path. No one will be handing you a job. You will need to make your own. Be prepared to support yourself through other means as you build your career. That being said, having a career in a field that you love is the kind of satisfaction that not many people get to experience.
What type of skills will young Percussionists need?
Dr. Andrew Phillips: I think the days are mostly long gone for music, where you could be a fantastic performer on your instrument. The people I see getting the most engagement, opportunities, and fulfillment entering the workforce can do more than play. They are excellent performers on their primary instrument but have other interests or facets that diversify and set them apart. These could include different musically related skills, such as teaching, conducting, composing, recording, and audio engineering/production, or could be an entirely different discipline, such as fitness, science, writing, or any anything else they find relates, correlates, or could be in conjunction with their musical ability. Musicians now need to have another skill or set of skills when looking for work to diversify themselves and be a good player on their instrument.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Percussionists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Andrew Phillips: The most saturated areas of musicians are the most metropolitan areas of the country. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago; there are many excellent musicians all vying for work in these cities. This also means that there are tons of opportunities around for these musicians to support themselves. As you get into the less densely populated or more spread out cities and towns of the United States, jobs and opportunities may be slightly less, but each area of the country and each place has its own culture that seeks to support the arts in some way. It's incredibly individual to a given location. I believe that musicians can mostly find work for themselves in any country if they go in with appropriate skills and proactively make the right connections.
How do you envision technology impacting Percussionists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Andrew Phillips: Technology has almost completely changed how music has operated, since the conception and birth of so many musical events, as they originated. Concerts used to be in person only - we now record, live-stream, and produce remotely performed shows anywhere in the world. Teaching used to be solely in person - now entire generations are making a living by giving virtual lessons to students worldwide. Music used to be hard to come by and only in print - I've played concerts entirely on iPads with no physical sheet music. Virtuoso musicians who have passed on were mourned as their music would never be experienced life again - now you can go to concerts with a digitally produced Michael Jackson and Maria Callas to enjoy their music too. The point is that technology has already impacted almost every fundamental part of how music is being listened to, performed, and produced now. To attempt to stop that or fight against would-be futile; technology will continue to influence and shift our market. As contemporary musicians, we must be willing to learn, use, and create with technological advances.
What experience really stands out on Percussionist resumes?
Annie Heiderscheit Ph.D.: What experience stands out on resumes? Highlighting experiences that relate to or are connect to the position you are applying for help make your resume stand out. It is helpful to underline in these experiences the roles and responsibilities you held, as they connect to the position you are applying for. Demonstrating experiences, whether these are work, internship, or practica; employers want to see that you have experience in what they are hiring for.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Percussionists in the next 5 years?
William Lawing: The more important answer is that music professions are always highly competitive, so increase or decrease is very relative. That saidm, since there is no live performance anywhere, work is horrific to come by at present.
What type of skills will young Percussionists need?
Barbara Lister-Sink: There are several enduring impacts on graduates, I am sure, who are finishing up their degrees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
First, they have learned to really appreciate the luxury that they now miss of training on excellent pianos and organs (in our program) in beautiful recital halls, something we all took for granted. In fact, I'll attach a little blurb I wrote, with a photo, about an organ pedal made out of pool noodles by Salem graduate students who could not get to any organs to practice! It's really a testimony to how musicians make the most out of limited materials (think Beethoven's compositions).
Second, they have had to become extraordinarily creative about teaching and learning, devising all sorts of unique and innovative ways of communicating in virtual reality.
Third, they realized that their graduate recitals, rather than being limited to a recital hall seating 200 people, could go global. The seven recitals that were performed at Salem College in April-May 2020 in the Virtual Piano Recital Series saw thousands of viewers and continue to live on in virtual reality. This gave our international students from China and Turkey, among others, the chance to broadcast live to their loved ones and friends who would never be able to make the trip to the US. Graduate students also learned that they could create really beautiful "house concerts," complete with concert attire and professional protocols, from their own homes. And even though they had to play on digital, hybrid, upright, and out-of-tune pianos, they somehow made it work. What a lesson to learn!
All of the above, means that graduates will appreciate much more what they have, and also be able to make the very most out of highly extenuating circumstances. Out of limitation can come great art.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Percussionists to find work opportunities?
Barbara Lister-Sink: I cannot speak specifically geographically to this question, but I do know that our students love living and working out in the "grassroots" of America and find ample opportunity to serve their communities, great and small, through their musical talents as performers, teachers, cultural entrepreneurs, administrators, community leaders, etc., etc. "Art is local," as has been said. And building a strong local base for their musical gifts not only contributes greatly to the cultural life of communities, no matter the size but also gives these graduates a critically important sense that they are truly making a real difference. Living in large urban areas can be much more challenging for young musicians just getting started---financially, professionally, socially, etc. Becoming a part of a rich musical community where your gifts are acknowledged and appreciated is fundamentally important to ensuring a joyous life in music.
How do you envision technology impacting Percussionists in the next 5 years?
Barbara Lister-Sink: The necessity of having to rely on technology to survive, as a music student or professional, during the pandemic has brought with it newfound awareness of a rich and seemingly limitless world of possibilities for musicians as performers, teachers, administrators, etc. Graduates (and their teachers) have had to learn new skills and ramp up old ones. All of that learning has been a remarkable example of neuroplasticity in action. We have all literally been "rewiring" our brains, exciting them with new discoveries and opportunities for creativity, expansion, and innovation in our careers. However, it is not without its cost.
Once the technology "honeymoon" was over, musicians have seen the negative effects of loss of true connectivity, of loss of ambient and true sound in a concert hall, the loss of that utterly terrifying yet inspiring presence of hundreds of live, attentive human beings, of our inability to literally reach out and touch (professionally) a student to demonstrate a technical lesson, and the, as yet unstudied but, anecdotal risks to the eyes and general health of sitting and staring at a 13-inch or even a 56-inch blue-lit box for hours on end. We have learned a great deal, but we are also learning in the post-technology honeymoon that there is no substitute for the"real thing," the sharing and exchange of our musical energies in the same space. We receive so many tangible and intangible benefits that will never be felt in virtual reality, for all its thrilling possibilities and rewards.
Andrew Pease
Assistant Professor of Music Director of Instrumental MusicHartwick College
Department of Instrumental Music
How do you envision technology impacting Percussionists in the next 5 years?
Andrew Pease: Technology has already had a major impact throughout this pandemic. It has allowed us to normalize things like Virtual Ensembles that were unimaginable even a decade ago. But none of it has replaced the electricity of live performance. I hope that live performance again becomes our default mode of being. But I will say with certainty that whoever perfects and effectively markets a zero-latency, high-audio-quality remote performance tool for musicians will become filthy rich! I fully expect such a technology to become commonplace within the next five years.