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Job outlook for vocalists in the United States
Are vocalist jobs in demand?
Vocalist job and salary trends over time
Vocalist jobs over time
Vocalist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 790 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,141 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,349 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,367 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,318 | 0.00% |
Average vocalist salary over time
Vocalist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $57,656 | $27.72 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $55,415 | $26.64 | +5.4% |
| 2023 | $52,586 | $25.28 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $51,447 | $24.73 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $50,051 | $24.06 | +2.1% |
Vocalist jobs by state
Most common states for vocalists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 39,536,653 | 1 | 0% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1 | 0% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 0 | 0% |
| 5 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 0 | 0% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 0 | 0% |
| 7 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 0 | 0% |
| 8 | New York | 19,849,399 | 0 | 0% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 0 | 0% |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 0 | 0% |
| 12 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 0 | 0% |
| 13 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 0 | 0% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 0 | 0% |
| 16 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 0 | 0% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 0 | 0% |
| 19 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 0 | 0% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 0 | 0% |
Vocalist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of vocalist experts
Bowling Green State University
Arkansas State University
University of Utah
Rhode Island College
Longy School of Music of Bard College
Illinois Wesleyan University
Occidental College
Augsburg University
Eastern Washington University
Salem College
Hartwick College
What Vocalist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Geoffrey Stephenson Ph.D.: If they are going into the musical theatre industry, they must get with a voice teacher to keep developing those skills - either live or online. Likewise, if they are dancers they need to participate in some sort of consistent training of their skills. Singing and dancing are physical skills that require consistent participation in order to improve. So in that case, it isn't at all about class credit, but much more about preparing for a career.
What general advice would you give to a Vocalist?
Geoffrey Stephenson Ph.D.: 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.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Vocalist job market given the pandemic?
Geoffrey Stephenson Ph.D.: Computers! The industry was already heading in this direction, with every actor needing either a Facebook or Instagram presence at the very least, and at best a very professionally put together website. Auditions in New York now are all prescreened through online video, so an actor can submit for a myriad of jobs per week. So knowing how to navigate all this is incredibly important for a college graduate entering the job market.
But of course there is a cost to this. Most auditions are not just to assure that the actor has the requisite skills, but also what kind of person they are. I have a friend that is a company manager for Broadway tours, and he says it is really important to know whether or not you can live with a person when on tour. Some actors aren't cut out for it, and they can make life difficult for the entire company. I'm not sure that quality can be assessed when the audition is mediated through technology. I'm assuming (hoping) that actors go through a live audition as well.
What skills stand out on Vocalist resumes?
Dr. Kristin Leitterman: The organizations that have figured out how to continue going about business during this time have generally moved into a virtual environment, making it necessary to seek out people that have skills in social media, video and audio recording, audio and video editing, as well as the ability to live stream to many different platforms. All of these skills will help graduates survive in the post-pandemic world. They will not only help graduates seeking to do this very thing, but also newly-minted teachers and performers. Schools will be looking to hire teachers that can adapt when needed and be able to give their students experiences, even if it is a non-standard classroom. Performers will need these skills to be able to market themselves, especially when performing together safely is not an option.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Vocalist job market given the pandemic?
Kirstin Chavez: When it comes to the business of classical singing, I think we will see a number of marked changes that will be directly linked to our time in this global pandemic. So many of us have had to up our technology game-to learn new ways of studying with coaches and teachers, to find new ways of collaborating with other musicians in online platforms that can function successfully, as a result of high-quality audio and low latency sound transmission. It has been quite a slog for us to figure this out, but we all banded together and shared the things we were learning and discovering, and so there has been an overall significant improvement in the kinds of music-making we can achieve, even while separated. I believe that, even when we can have the blessing of speaking of this pandemic in the past tense, we will carry with us many of the new-found technological capabilities, and I believe that creating digital content in our medium will be very much a part of the way forward. We all look forward to the day when we can safely welcome our audiences back into the theaters to enjoy the art we make, but I truly believe that there will continue to be a sizable market for more and more digital content, and I think that kind of consumption of classical music will exist alongside the live-theater version.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Vocalists in the next 3-5 years?
Kirstin Chavez: We have already seen the huge demand for low-latency, high-quality audio transmission. I think we will see vast improvements in that arena, and I believe that we will also see significant developments in broadcasting capabilities that will allow opera companies and orchestras, and other live performing organizations, to broadcast their work to a much wider audience. We will soon see that we can enjoy 'live' performances, with no compromise in quality, from halfway around the world and in real-time. These advances are already in the works, and the pandemic has thrust them into high gear. I, myself, am preparing for performances with my pianist-she is in Montreal, and I am in Utah-and, with the combination of several applications and web platforms, we can perform together in real-time and broadcast over the internet to the entire globe. This kind of performance will become more and more common, and it will vastly expand our ability to collaborate with a huge number of artists who, previously, felt unreachable because of physical distance. That will no longer be an issue.
Greg Abate
Adjunct Instructor, International Jazz artist and recording artistRhode Island College
Music, Theater, and Dance Department
What type of skills will young Vocalists need?
Greg Abate: They will need social skills and respect.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Vocalists to find work opportunities?
Greg Abate: For jazz, a career is challenging. One must be prepared to get exposure, and networking is the key, along with number 1.
How do you envision technology impacting Vocalists in the next 5 years?
Greg Abate: It may take the classic feel out of the art form of real Jazz and creative playing a live performance.
What type of skills will young Vocalists need?
Ashley Hall: Graduates from music conservatories first need to consider who they are as a multifaceted human. What do they value, what type of career(s) would be meaningful to them, and how can they craft a path as an artist that allows them to intersect their values with their career? Young musicians need to be good at marketing, time-management, and networking. They need to be organized and clear about their goals with the mental flexibility to be open to paths that correlate with their musical lives well. Young musicians need to stay curious, be excellent at their craft, and always be prepared and easy to work with. Also, acquiring a business and entrepreneurial skills can be quite important for this field.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Vocalists to find work opportunities?
Ashley Hall: My simple answer to this question is "anywhere that you have or can easily make meaningful relationships" and "it depends on the work." The large cities are always going to be places where a wide variety of creative outlets exist. The music field is full of possibilities, and with creativity, persistence, and lots of courage, any community can be a place where graduates can find work.
How do you envision technology impacting Vocalists in the next 5 years?
Ashley Hall: I don't think any technology will ever be able to replace the feelings of connectivity that we experience as humans through the collective power of live music. Live music and art will always be a part of the fabric of a vibrant society. This pandemic has shown us that technology does open up many possibilities for teaching, masterclasses, professional development, and even holding efficient meetings across time zones. Some of these advances and changes will likely remain and become the "new normal," and perhaps, the advances in technology will provide increased opportunities to access and reach new audiences. But technology will never be able to replace the experience and necessity for the arts in our world.
What experience really stands out on Vocalist resumes?
Franklin Larey: I am immediately drawn to activities that are outside of candidates' areas of expertise. This reveals a lot about the candidates, about their character, and their broader world-view. Any work that contributes to social justice jumps at me.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Vocalists in the next 3-5 years?
Gloria Lum: Right now, the best thing to do for a recent graduate is to learn how to exist in an online space. Most music and teaching has gone remote, and in many ways, that has opened up opportunities for a lot of young musicians. More people can be accessed online than can be in a traditional setting of one on one teaching. So the more familiarity a graduate has with online technology, in all of its guises, the better they will be positioned to take advantage of the vast online audience that exists.
What Vocalist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Annie Heiderscheit Ph.D.: If a graduate needs to take a gap year, what skills would you recommend to enhance, and how should they go about doing it? It is helpful to continue to find ways to engage the skills that are important to or relate to clinical work. This may include finding opportunities to volunteer or working in positions that focus on service or helping others. Positions within human services and human services related areas are incredibly helpful.
What experience really stands out on Vocalist resumes?
Dr. Jody Graves: In music, evidence of substantive performance experience in various concert settings, such as large ensembles (choir, band, orchestra) is expected. Students with a music degree should demonstrate a high level of skill and artistry on their instrument, both as a soloist and a collaborative artist. Additionally, students should have teaching music skills, both in a classroom (K-12) setting and as a private studio teacher. Pedagogy skills as a studio teacher are especially crucial as many musicians establish private studios after graduation, and that career path can be very lucrative.
For example, we have former EWU music students who are teaching privately and playing in various groups such as the Spokane Symphony, making a living upwards of 50K. If students have interned with an area music school or program during their college residency, that experience is also noted in their resume. Students who held leadership positions in arts organizations such as NAfME or MTNA during college are recognized as valuable strengths as well. Abilities in composition, music arranging, and applications in film scoring or video game music are another critical area growing in the music field.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Vocalists to find work opportunities?
Barbara Lister-Sink: I cannot speak specifically geographically to this question, but I do know that our students love living and working out in the "grassroots" of America and find ample opportunity to serve their communities, great and small, through their musical talents as performers, teachers, cultural entrepreneurs, administrators, community leaders, etc., etc. "Art is local," as has been said. And building a strong local base for their musical gifts not only contributes greatly to the cultural life of communities, no matter the size but also gives these graduates a critically important sense that they are truly making a real difference. Living in large urban areas can be much more challenging for young musicians just getting started---financially, professionally, socially, etc. Becoming a part of a rich musical community where your gifts are acknowledged and appreciated is fundamentally important to ensuring a joyous life in music.
Andrew Pease
Assistant Professor of Music Director of Instrumental MusicHartwick College
Department of Instrumental Music
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Vocalists?
Andrew Pease: Of course, no question, especially for performers. Traditional performing groups look likely to be shut down for this entire season - the Met Opera in NYC, for instance, has already done so. That's already having a huge and lasting impact on anyone who performs for a living. Some of these groups will not make it through the pandemic. This means, though, that the groups that do return will have a greater share of an audience, hungry for live music. Also, the door may be open for more young innovators to make their mark with their own flavor of performance. It will be a different world for sure, but the college graduates of the near future will have plenty of opportunities, just maybe not in the most traditional avenues.
How do you envision technology impacting Vocalists in the next 5 years?
Andrew Pease: Technology has already had a major impact throughout this pandemic. It has allowed us to normalize things like Virtual Ensembles that were unimaginable even a decade ago. But none of it has replaced the electricity of live performance. I hope that live performance again becomes our default mode of being. But I will say with certainty that whoever perfects and effectively markets a zero-latency, high-audio-quality remote performance tool for musicians will become filthy rich! I fully expect such a technology to become commonplace within the next five years.