How To Become A Singer Songwriter: What It Is and Career Path

What is a singer songwriter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Gloria Lum

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a singer songwriter. For example, did you know that they make an average of $38.67 an hour? That's $80,442 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 songwriter?

Gloria Lum

Cello Instructor, Occidental College

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.

ScoreSinger SongwriterUS Average

Salary

6.3

Avg. Salary $80,442

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 5.59%

Black or African American 10.39%

Hispanic or Latino 13.43%

Unknown 5.12%

White 65.29%

Gender

female 46.26%

male 53.74%

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

Key steps to become a singer songwriter

Explore singer songwriter education requirements

Most common singer songwriter degrees

Bachelor's

66.2 %

Associate

14.1 %

Master's

7.1 %

Start to develop specific singer songwriter skills

Skills	Percentages
Songwriting	17.29%
Event Planning	13.14%
YouTube	6.78%
Live Performances	6.24%
Music Videos	6.09%

Complete relevant singer songwriter training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New singer songwriters 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 songwriter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real singer songwriter resumes.

Research singer songwriter duties and responsibilities

Achieve desired tonal and harmonic balance by communicating clearly with singers.
Self-Employ internationally known opera singer, award-winning cabaret singer, actor with off-Broadway credits.
Self-Employ internationally known opera singer, award-winning cabaret singer, actor with off-Broadway credits.

Prepare your singer songwriter resume

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

Build a professional singer songwriter 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 songwriter resume.

Apply for singer songwriter jobs

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

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

How do singer songwriters rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Singer songwriter reviews

5.0

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 .

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

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2020

Pros

Being a man of the people and representing , relating to, and inspiring all people. A voice for all people mainly from ages 5-50. Generating interest in anything from consumers of everyday products to songs in the record industry(albums or singles).

What is a singer songwriter and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a singer songwriter?

Singer songwriter career paths

Key steps to become a singer songwriter

Explore singer songwriter education requirements

Most common singer songwriter degrees

Start to develop specific singer songwriter skills

Complete relevant singer songwriter training and internships

Research singer songwriter duties and responsibilities

Prepare your singer songwriter resume

Choose from 10+ customizable singer songwriter resume templates

Apply for singer songwriter jobs

How did you land your first singer songwriter job

Average singer songwriter salary

How do singer songwriters rate their job?

Singer songwriter reviews