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What is a singer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Quoted expert
Geoffrey Stephenson Ph.D.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a singer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $30.1 an hour? That's $62,613 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 6,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a singer?

Geoffrey Stephenson Ph.D.Geoffrey Stephenson Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Teaching Professor, Musical Theatre History and Vocal Performance, Bowling Green State University

If there is anything else that you could do as a vocation, do it. (Oddly enough, that is the same advice I got when I briefly considered the ministry! Ha!) Seriously though, it is a terrific idea to have something else that you love doing while looking for a performing job. I have students who now teach dance classes, work as personal trainers, write and direct in addition to performing, teach acting and professional management workshops, even editing podcasts. The industry has changed a lot since I was there in the late 80s/early 90s: everyone has a side hustle. Gone are the days of just working as a waiter or in catering.

Beyond that – and I can't emphasize this enough – a young performer needs to have faith in themselves and know in their heart that they belong in that audition, whether they're what the casting folks are looking for or not (and a lot of times you go to those auditions just to remind them that you're there, you're skilled, you're friendly, and you're a professional). One of my biggest mistakes when I was in New York was that I became so desperate to get a performing gig, I became a nervous wreck – and the casting folks can smell that desperation on you – and it isn't attractive. No one ever performed well with a loaded audition held to their head.
ScoreSingerUS Average
Salary
4.9

Avg. Salary $62,613

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.2

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 5.54%

Black or African American 10.44%

Hispanic or Latino 13.27%

Unknown 5.11%

White 65.46%

Gender

female 57.06%

male 42.94%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress level
4.2

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
5.6

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
8.0

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Singer career paths

Key steps to become a singer

  1. Explore singer education requirements

    Most common singer degrees

    Bachelor's

    63.3 %

    Associate

    10.4 %

    Master's

    9.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific singer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Tenor12.52%
    Live Performances11.55%
    Different Venues11.40%
    Costumes11.34%
    Chorus7.98%
  3. Complete relevant singer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New singers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a singer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real singer resumes.
  4. Research singer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage presence on Facebook, YouTube and SoundCloud.
    • Achieve desired tonal and harmonic balance by communicating clearly with singers.
    • Create and write original songs in rhythm and blues, reggae, jazz, classical, gospel and pop genres.
    • Have played shows around Boston including NYC.
  5. Prepare your singer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your singer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a singer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable singer resume templates

    Build a professional singer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your singer resume.
    Singer Resume
    Singer Resume
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    Singer Resume
  6. Apply for singer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a singer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first singer job

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Average singer salary

The average singer salary in the United States is $62,613 per year or $30 per hour. Singer salaries range between $27,000 and $143,000 per year.

Average singer salary
$62,613 Yearly
$30.10 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do singers rate their job?

4.5/5

Based on 2 ratings

5 stars

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3 stars

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1 star

Singer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2021
Pros

Being an inspiration for other people who are interested in the music industry.

Cons

there's nothing .


profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2021
Pros

Well I love singing a lot because I am so happy and proud to become a famous singer one day and I get so excited about things that are coming my way and music is my favourite hobby it’s and I love my music because I am in to the 60s and the 50s and the 40s so I would love to be rich and famous singer and to get married to my gorgeous partner one day and to move house in the future

Cons

I don’t like people telling me off all the time and when they are being sneaky and lurking behind your back and to get out of of my house and to get out of derby all together for good


profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

i get to express myself

Cons

well some times for my age i get teased people say that i'm to young to sing and singing isn't a real job


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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