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Musician salary
Average musician salary
$57,257
Average Musician Salary
The typical salary for a musician varies significantly based on multiple factors. As of October 2025, the average musician earns $57,257 annually. However, geographical location and years of experience play crucial roles in determining actual earnings.
Factors Influencing Salary
In states like California and New York, musicians often enjoy higher pay due to the vibrant entertainment industry. For instance, the highest-paying states for musicians include:
- California
- New York
- Florida
Additionally, specialized roles such as composers or music producers typically command higher salaries compared to general performance roles. By focusing on specific skills and seeking opportunities in lucrative markets, musicians can enhance their earning potential.
Career Opportunities
Job prospects for musicians encompass various fields, including live performance, studio recording, and music education. Exploring diverse opportunities can lead to a fulfilling career with competitive compensation.
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Where can a Musician earn more?
Musician salary estimates from across the web
Average musician salary by state
The highest-paying states for musicians are New York, New Jersey, and Alaska. The lowest average musician salary states are Oklahoma, Idaho, and Wyoming.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for musicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $87,177 | $41.91 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $77,569 | $37.29 |
| 3 | California | $79,675 | $38.31 |
| 4 | Alaska | $83,629 | $40.21 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $84,559 | $40.65 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $74,530 | $35.83 |
| 7 | Vermont | $72,335 | $34.78 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $60,532 | $29.10 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $65,713 | $31.59 |
| 10 | Michigan | $65,128 | $31.31 |
| 11 | Illinois | $68,311 | $32.84 |
| 12 | Ohio | $61,105 | $29.38 |
| 13 | Iowa | $62,575 | $30.08 |
| 14 | Maine | $61,454 | $29.55 |
| 15 | Arizona | $58,375 | $28.06 |
| 16 | Virginia | $60,254 | $28.97 |
| 17 | Kansas | $58,984 | $28.36 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $60,823 | $29.24 |
| 19 | Maryland | $58,941 | $28.34 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $57,959 | $27.86 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $55,515 | $26.69 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $54,226 | $26.07 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $53,396 | $25.67 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $51,614 | $24.81 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $54,912 | $26.40 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $52,712 | $25.34 |
| 27 | Indiana | $52,566 | $25.27 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $53,249 | $25.60 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $52,466 | $25.22 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $52,294 | $25.14 |
| 31 | Texas | $52,468 | $25.23 |
| 32 | Georgia | $51,646 | $24.83 |
| 33 | Delaware | $53,729 | $25.83 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $50,409 | $24.24 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $51,655 | $24.83 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $55,195 | $26.54 |
| 37 | Utah | $47,971 | $23.06 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $50,156 | $24.11 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $48,810 | $23.47 |
| 40 | Oregon | $49,100 | $23.61 |
| 41 | Nevada | $48,277 | $23.21 |
| 42 | Florida | $49,008 | $23.56 |
| 43 | Alabama | $47,787 | $22.97 |
| 44 | Washington | $47,382 | $22.78 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $46,869 | $22.53 |
| 46 | Montana | $47,241 | $22.71 |
| 47 | Idaho | $45,681 | $21.96 |
| 48 | Missouri | $39,845 | $19.16 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $43,514 | $20.92 |
| 50 | Colorado | $37,817 | $18.18 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $38,834 | $18.67 |
Highest paying cities for musicians
The highest-paying cities for musicians are New York, NY, Anchorage, AK, and Rohnert Park, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $88,795 | $42.69 |
| 2 | Anchorage, AK | $85,730 | $41.22 |
| 3 | Rohnert Park, CA | $83,504 | $40.15 |
| 4 | Cleveland, OH | $64,899 | $31.20 |
| 5 | Ann Arbor, MI | $64,258 | $30.89 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $62,875 | $30.23 |
| 7 | Springfield, MA | $61,302 | $29.47 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $59,069 | $28.40 |
| 9 | Milwaukee, WI | $55,607 | $26.73 |
| 10 | Providence, RI | $54,543 | $26.22 |
| 11 | San Antonio, TX | $53,822 | $25.88 |
| 12 | Jacksonville, NC | $53,753 | $25.84 |
| 13 | Brooklyn Center, MN | $53,269 | $25.61 |
| 14 | Washington, DC | $51,524 | $24.77 |
| 15 | Hattiesburg, MS | $50,986 | $24.51 |
| 16 | Boca Raton, FL | $48,834 | $23.48 |
| 17 | Las Vegas, NV | $48,387 | $23.26 |
| 18 | Montgomery, AL | $47,518 | $22.85 |
| 19 | Oklahoma City, OK | $46,815 | $22.51 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $40,460 | $19.45 |
Musician salary details
A musician's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $127,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a musician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $127,000 | $10,583 | $61 |
| 75th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| Average | $57,257 | $4,771 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying musician jobs
The highest paying types of musicians are guitarist, concert pianist, and professional musician.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accompanist | $52,645 | $4,387 | $25.31 | 197 |
| Pianist | $53,479 | $4,457 | $25.71 | 99 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for musicians, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Gloria Lum
Cello Instructor, Occidental College
Top companies hiring musicians now:
Which companies pay musicians the most?
Musician salaries at Sanford Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average musician salary at companies like PSEA and Diva Corporation are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanford Health | $149,208 | $71.73 |
| 2 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $136,053 | $65.41 |
| 3 | PSEA | $85,398 | $41.06 |
| 4 | Diva Corporation | $74,975 | $36.05 |
| 5 | Houston Symphony | $62,901 | $30.24 |
| 6 | Virginia Commonwealth University | $62,800 | $30.19 |
| 7 | University of Michigan | $62,335 | $29.97 |
| 8 | Manhattan School of Music | $59,550 | $28.63 |
| 9 | LPR Construction | $58,716 | $28.23 |
| 10 | Catholic Diocese of Arlington | $52,457 | $25.22 |
| 11 | Metropolitan State University of Denver | $50,952 | $24.50 |
| 12 | Archdiocese Of San Antonio | $48,418 | $23.28 |
| 13 | Salvation Army North | $44,556 | $21.42 |
| 14 | Xanterra | $38,814 | $18.66 |
| 15 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | $37,102 | $17.84 |
| 16 | The Salvation Army | $34,888 | $16.77 |
| 17 | Albany, NY | $24,826 | $11.94 |
| 18 | Sul Ross State University | $24,177 | $11.62 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Musician salary by industry
The average musician salary varies across industries:
- The average musician salary in the media industry is $53,745, the highest of any industry.
- The average musician salary in the finance industry is $53,494.
- Musicians in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $39,085, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for musicians
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media | $53,745 | $25.84 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $53,494 | $25.72 |
| 3 | Education | $50,513 | $24.29 |
| 4 | Non Profits | $39,085 | $18.79 |
High paying musician jobs
Musician salary trends
The average musician salary has risen by $10,708 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average musician earned $46,549 annually, but today, they earn $57,257 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for musicians over the last decade.
Compare musician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average musician salary over time
Compare musician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Musician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $57,300 | $27.53 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $55,000 | $26.46 | +5.1% |
| 2023 | $52,200 | $25.11 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $51,100 | $24.56 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $49,700 | $23.90 | +2.1% |
Recently added musician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D'Addario | Quality Control Musician-Woodwinds | Farmingdale, NY | 06/12/2025 | $56,349 |
| State of Virginia | Dance Musician (Non-Benefited) | Richmond, VA | 06/04/2025 | $43,827 |
| Benedictine University | Liturgical Musician-Contract | Lisle, IL | 05/21/2025 | $52,175 |
| State of Virginia | Dance Musician (Non-Benefited) | Richmond, VA | 04/20/2025 | $43,827 |
| State of Virginia | Dance Musician (Non-Benefited) | Richmond, VA | 03/28/2025 | $43,827 |
| Playbill, Inc. | Musician Paid Accompanist The Aloha Foundation--Camp Lanakila Fairlee, VT US/2025 | Vermont | 02/20/2025 | $54,000 |
| Playbill, Inc. | Musician Paid Hip Hop Musicals.com New York, NY US/2025 | New York, NY | 02/19/2025 | $24,000 |
| Careersinmusic | Session Musician | Boulder, CO | 02/17/2025 | $54,600 |
| Careersinmusic | Cruise Ship Musician | Portland, ME | 02/17/2025 | $31,500 |
| Mafrika Music Society Inc. | Musician and Singers | New York, NY | 01/20/2025 | $146,904 |
Musician salary FAQs
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