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Music teacher salary
Average music teacher salary
$51,978
Average Music Teacher Salary
The average salary for a music teacher in the United States is approximately $51,978 annually. This figure represents a blend of various factors, including location, experience, and the educational setting. For instance, music teachers in urban areas often earn higher salaries compared to their rural counterparts due to differences in living costs and demand for specialized education.
Salary by State
Salary rates can vary significantly across states. For example, states like California and New York typically offer higher compensation for music teachers, reflecting the higher cost of living and demand for qualified educators. In contrast, states with smaller populations may present lower salary averages but can offer unique opportunities in community engagement and music program development.
Career Opportunities
Music teachers can find roles in various educational settings, including public schools, private institutions, and community organizations. Specializing in areas such as choral, instrumental, or general music education can lead to unique positions with varied salary potentials. Additionally, obtaining advanced degrees or certifications can further enhance earning prospects, positioning educators for leadership roles within music education.
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Where can a Music Teacher earn more?
Music teacher salary estimates from across the web
Average music teacher salary by state
The average music teacher salary in Massachusetts, New York, and Maryland are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average music teacher salary states are Oklahoma, Idaho, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for music teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $67,799 | $32.60 |
| 2 | Maryland | $62,205 | $29.91 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $59,747 | $28.72 |
| 4 | New York | $64,219 | $30.87 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $60,752 | $29.21 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $66,709 | $32.07 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $57,552 | $27.67 |
| 8 | Michigan | $50,758 | $24.40 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $54,419 | $26.16 |
| 10 | Illinois | $51,300 | $24.66 |
| 11 | Ohio | $54,937 | $26.41 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $56,540 | $27.18 |
| 13 | Iowa | $51,197 | $24.61 |
| 14 | Georgia | $51,015 | $24.53 |
| 15 | Washington | $55,791 | $26.82 |
| 16 | Virginia | $53,184 | $25.57 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $47,504 | $22.84 |
| 18 | Alaska | $57,128 | $27.47 |
| 19 | California | $55,163 | $26.52 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $48,522 | $23.33 |
| 21 | Vermont | $50,507 | $24.28 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $46,801 | $22.50 |
| 23 | Delaware | $48,119 | $23.13 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $49,129 | $23.62 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $47,342 | $22.76 |
| 26 | Alabama | $48,335 | $23.24 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $43,978 | $21.14 |
| 28 | Texas | $46,468 | $22.34 |
| 29 | Oregon | $49,372 | $23.74 |
| 30 | Indiana | $42,693 | $20.53 |
| 31 | Florida | $44,184 | $21.24 |
| 32 | Montana | $44,134 | $21.22 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $44,893 | $21.58 |
| 34 | Kansas | $41,722 | $20.06 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $46,074 | $22.15 |
| 36 | Nevada | $40,106 | $19.28 |
| 37 | Colorado | $41,165 | $19.79 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $44,137 | $21.22 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $39,609 | $19.04 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $40,495 | $19.47 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $48,034 | $23.09 |
| 42 | Missouri | $40,344 | $19.40 |
| 43 | Maine | $41,988 | $20.19 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $38,796 | $18.65 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $40,711 | $19.57 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $40,565 | $19.50 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $40,012 | $19.24 |
| 48 | Idaho | $38,855 | $18.68 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $37,892 | $18.22 |
| 50 | Arizona | $36,636 | $17.61 |
| 51 | Utah | $38,121 | $18.33 |
Highest paying cities for music teachers
The highest-paying cities for music teachers are Boston, MA, Washington, DC, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $67,695 | $32.55 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $66,772 | $32.10 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $64,480 | $31.00 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $62,362 | $29.98 |
| 5 | Santa Rosa, CA | $58,157 | $27.96 |
| 6 | Cincinnati, OH | $53,781 | $25.86 |
| 7 | North Chicago, IL | $51,569 | $24.79 |
| 8 | Savannah, GA | $51,166 | $24.60 |
| 9 | Grand Rapids, MI | $50,267 | $24.17 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $46,813 | $22.51 |
| 11 | Houston, TX | $46,812 | $22.51 |
| 12 | Miami, FL | $44,252 | $21.27 |
| 13 | Santa Fe, NM | $43,627 | $20.97 |
| 14 | Boulder, CO | $41,266 | $19.84 |
| 15 | Meridian, MS | $40,718 | $19.58 |
| 16 | Las Vegas, NV | $39,969 | $19.22 |
| 17 | Phoenix, AZ | $36,632 | $17.61 |
Music teacher salary details
A music teacher's salary ranges from $38,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $70,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a music teacher's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| Average | $51,978 | $4,332 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
Highest paying music teacher jobs
The highest paying types of music teachers are student teacher, music instructor, and reading teacher.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teacher | $52,161 | $4,347 | $25.08 | 84,607 |
| 5th Grade Teacher | $46,300 | $3,858 | $22.26 | 57,358 |
| 2nd Grade Teacher | $46,850 | $3,904 | $22.52 | 59,077 |
| 4th Grade Teacher | $47,619 | $3,968 | $22.89 | 68,138 |
| Long Term Substitute Teacher | $42,808 | $3,567 | $20.58 | 69,133 |
| Music Instructor | $57,930 | $4,827 | $27.85 | 26,788 |
Top companies hiring music teachers now:
Which companies pay music teachers the most?
Music teacher salaries at University of California, Berkeley and Tucson Electric Power are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average music teacher salary at companies like Yale University and Ethical Culture Fieldston School are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley | $93,612 | $45.01 |
| 2 | Tucson Electric Power | $91,007 | $43.75 |
| 3 | Yale University | $89,325 | $42.94 |
| 4 | Ethical Culture Fieldston School | $77,008 | $37.02 |
| 5 | The Browning School | $76,878 | $36.96 |
| 6 | Northeastern University | $74,404 | $35.77 |
| 7 | Academy of Art University | $73,388 | $35.28 |
| 8 | The New York Academy of Sciences | $72,946 | $35.07 |
| 9 | York Prep School | $72,932 | $35.06 |
| 10 | Rutgers University | $70,002 | $33.65 |
| 11 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | $69,151 | $33.25 |
| 12 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $68,778 | $33.07 |
| 13 | Rowan University | $68,382 | $32.88 |
| 14 | Boston College | $67,000 | $32.21 |
| 15 | The Bryn Mawr School | $66,819 | $32.12 |
| 16 | University of Michigan | $66,754 | $32.09 |
| 17 | Community School of Music and Arts | $66,248 | $31.85 |
| 18 | Chatham Hall | $64,663 | $31.09 |
| 19 | Savannah College of Art and Design | $63,690 | $30.62 |
| 20 | St. Mary’s Center | $63,557 | $30.56 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Music Teacher salary by industry
The average music teacher salary varies across industries:
- The average music teacher salary in the manufacturing industry is $51,313, the highest of any industry.
- The average music teacher salary in the finance industry is $51,127.
- Music teachers in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $43,745, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for music teachers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $51,313 | $24.67 |
| 2 | Technology | $51,127 | $24.58 |
| 3 | Education | $50,208 | $24.14 |
| 4 | Non Profits | $43,745 | $21.03 |
High paying music teacher jobs
Music teacher salary trends
The average music teacher salary has risen by $6,909 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average music teacher earned $45,069 annually, but today, they earn $51,978 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for music teachers over the last decade.
Compare music teacher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average music teacher salary over time
Compare music teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Music teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,000 | $24.99 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $50,900 | $24.47 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $49,700 | $23.88 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $48,800 | $23.44 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | $47,600 | $22.88 | +1.6% |
Recently added music teacher salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greendotca | Music Teacher-Alain Leroy Locke College Prep Academy | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $71,085 |
| Zetacharterschools | Music Teacher | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $62,000 |
| Idea Public Schools | Music Teacher-Idea Victory College Prep) | Tampa, FL | 06/28/2025 | $52,000 |
| Idea Public Schools | Music Teacher-Idea Yukon Academy) | Odessa, TX | 06/28/2025 | $62,500 |
| Springfield City Schools | Music Teacher-Horace Mann Elementary | Springfield, OH | 06/27/2025 | $43,816 |
| Lansing School District | Music Teacher | Lansing, MI | 06/27/2025 | $45,355 |
| 4000 Archdiocese of Seattle Payroll Svc | K-8 Music Teacher-Salary | Vancouver, WA | 06/27/2025 | $41,685 |
| Crowley Independent School District (Tx | Music Teacher-Elementary | Crowley, TX | 06/26/2025 | $61,810 |
| Savannah-Chatham Country Schools | Music (Strings) Teacher-Savannah Classical Academy SY | Savannah, GA | 06/26/2025 | $57,201 |
| West Virginia Department of Education | Elementary Music Teacher | West Virginia | 06/26/2025 | $36,078 |
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