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Piano instructor vs piano teacher

The differences between piano instructors and piano teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a piano instructor and a piano teacher. Additionally, a piano instructor has an average salary of $53,474, which is higher than the $52,799 average annual salary of a piano teacher.

The top three skills for a piano instructor include music education, voice lessons and ear training. The most important skills for a piano teacher are music education, ear training, and pianos.

Piano instructor vs piano teacher overview

Piano InstructorPiano Teacher
Yearly salary$53,474$52,799
Hourly rate$25.71$25.38
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs24,51252,993
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4346
Years of experience22

What does a piano instructor do?

A Piano Instructor is responsible for teaching piano lessons. They organize recitals, prepare students for contests, and evaluate student progress.

What does a piano teacher do?

Piano Teachers are responsible for teaching piano lessons and sustaining student progress by explaining and demonstrating various piano techniques. They develop and execute class plans, and prepare course materials such as syllabi and homework assignments.

Piano instructor vs piano teacher salary

Piano instructors and piano teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Piano InstructorPiano Teacher
Average salary$53,474$52,799
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $83,000Between $38,000 And $72,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MAYonkers, NY
Highest paying stateMassachusettsNew York
Best paying companyUniversity of RochesterUniversity of Michigan
Best paying industryStart-upMedia

Differences between piano instructor and piano teacher education

There are a few differences between a piano instructor and a piano teacher in terms of educational background:

Piano InstructorPiano Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorMusicMusic
Most common collegeStanford UniversityNorthwestern University

Piano instructor vs piano teacher demographics

Here are the differences between piano instructors' and piano teachers' demographics:

Piano InstructorPiano Teacher
Average age4346
Gender ratioMale, 31.2% Female, 68.8%Male, 24.6% Female, 75.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 9.5% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 14.1% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage12%16%

Differences between piano instructor and piano teacher duties and responsibilities

Piano instructor example responsibilities.

  • Own and manage a small business as a CPR and first aid instructor and consultant for diverse clients.
  • Serve as choral director and drama instructor.
  • Cover the fundamental concepts of chemistry and biology including cell biology, metabolism, microbiology, genetics, evolution and histology.
  • Instruct adults in a variety of topics including; emotional psychology, biological psychology, anatomy and physiology, motivational psychology ...

Piano teacher example responsibilities.

  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Prepare students for auditions, recitals and competitions.
  • Teach elementary school students after their schools -private tutor for mathematics, science and English
  • Assist school directors with preparation for competitions and performances, and assist students in preparing music for say events.
  • Challenge students to master basic math concepts through implementation of manipulative graphing, and charting exercises that develop problem-solving skills.
  • Challenge students to master basic math concepts through implementation of manipulative graphing, and charting exercises that develop problem-solving skills.

Piano instructor vs piano teacher skills

Common piano instructor skills
  • Music Education, 21%
  • Voice Lessons, 16%
  • EAR Training, 15%
  • Piano Performance, 14%
  • Music History, 7%
  • Private Voice, 5%
Common piano teacher skills
  • Music Education, 39%
  • EAR Training, 17%
  • Pianos, 6%
  • Voice Lessons, 6%
  • Suzuki, 5%
  • Music History, 4%

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