The opportunities for a musician to succeed are so much larger than meets the eye.
It is true that orchestral/ensemble/solo performance as well as teaching are the two most popular careers in music.
While these career paths can be exceptionally rewarding to those who are passionate about the vocations of teaching and performing, the reality is that there are many, many more options that are available to those who have a music degree.
In fact, whether you can believe it or not, there are over 70+ exceptional and yes, lucrative careers you can pursue with a music degree.
That’s right – over 70(!) careers are available to those with a music degree. I bet you never knew that.
It’s true that some of these careers might require functional knowledge outside of the core requirements of your music degree and possibly even require a specialized degree. For example, if you want to get a job as a grant writer for a music organization, working as an intern at a non-profit arts organization could provide you with the necessary skills for learning how to write grants. Also, taking a grant-writing class at your university could assist tremendously.
So let’s get into it. Here are 70+ careers, listed alphabetically, that are available for musicians who have successfully graduated with a music degree.
The Careers & Salaries, Listed Alphabetically
A&R Administrator
Provides high-level personal and administrative support to an A&R (Artists & Repertoire) Representative.
- Job Scenarios: Working with an A&R representative for a record label or artist management company.
- Salary: $25,000 – $65,000 + (Careers In Music)
A&R Representative
Scouts talent for record labels to sign to recording contracts.
- Job Scenarios: Working for a record label or artist management company.
- Salary: $25,000 – $85,000
Accompanist
Performing in collaboration with an ensemble. Not entirely different from being a collaborative pianist.
- Job Scenarios: Accompanying students in different music schools, ensemble auditionees, church choirs and congregations, dance classes, concerto rehearsals, and with other musicians in a collaborative setting.
- Salary: Typically by the hour, usually between $30-75/hr.
Agent
Individual who books gigs for an artist or band/ensemble using relationships with clients such as club owners.
- Job Scenario: Working directly with an artist or an artist management company.
- Salary: Usually a commission of what the artist makes at the show, around 15%. A full-time agent can make great money in this profession, with the top agents in the world making millions.
Alexander Technique Instructor (Music)
Instructor who works with musicians showing them how to normalize levels of physical and mental tension in their performing.
- Job Scenarios: Usually as an independent instructor.
- Salary: Not very much data is available for this career, but a successful and active clinician in this field can make $40,000 – $70,000+.
App Development
Music apps are exceptionally popular and always need consulting, testing, and / or development from actual musicians.
- Job Scenario: As an app developer or working on an app with another company, either a start-up or established business.
- Salary: Employed app developers typically make between $80,000 – $100,000 (Mashable)
Arranging
Musical reconceptualization. In other words, it can range from orchestrating a composer’s piano score to developing and reharmonizing a composer’s melody or song.
- Job Scenarios: Many professional film composers have arrangers on their staff in order to complete a film score quickly. In jazz, we see people like Gordon Goodwin and Christian McBride making clever arrangements for big bands.
- Salary: $20,000-$45,000 annually (Berklee College of Music Salary Guide)
Artist Manager
Negotiates business deals on behalf of the artist. Also has input on the creative and marketing ends of an artist.
- Job Scenarios: Either independently or with an artist management company such as Columbia Artists Management.
- Salary: Up to 50% of what the artist makes.
Arts Administration
Performs tasks for an arts organization. Can be as simple as basic clerical duties or as advanced as grant-writing and events planning.
- Job Scenarios: Working in an arts organization. Some established arts organizations with large arts administration staffs include major orchestras and creative venues like the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
- Salary: Between $30,000 and $50,000, with opportunities for advancement into higher positions in the organization.
Audio Engineer
Audio production specialist concerned with how sound is manipulated, recorded, and mixed in an audio recording. For someone specializing in acoustic sound, please see sound / acoustic engineer below.
- Job Scenarios: As a freelance recording engineer, in a college/university recording studio, in a commercial recording studio, etc.
- Salary: Median pay is approximately $45,000, according to audioengineeringschools.net
Blogger
A journalist, writer, or commentator who writes about a specific subject and sells products, memberships, and advertising space on their websites.
- Job Scenarios: Honestly, you should start your own blog if you want to get paid well – writing articles for other people exclusively does not usually lend itself to a lucrative blogging career, unless you get a job at a place like Rolling Stone Magazine. Get a domain and hosting space from either BlueHost or GoDaddy, download a premium theme from Themeforest, and you are good to go.
- Salary: $0 – $100,000+ (It sounds crazy, but I know bloggers, albeit usually in other spaces, that make around a half million a year).
Broadcast Engineer
Oversees the “airchain,” or the complete path of an a/v signal from origin to destination, for a television or radio station. Requires a background in audio engineering and possibly knowledge in electrical engineering.
- Job Scenario: Employed by a television company or radio station, or as an independent contractor.
- Salary: Average is $70,000 (Glass Door)
Business Management
Starts and/or oversees the day-to-day operations of a music business, including a performing arts venue, nightclub, music store.
- Job Scenarios: Overseeing various music businesses, such as record labels, clubs, performing arts centers, etc.
- Salary: $45,000 – $150,000+ (higher if you are an executive director)
Chamber Musician
Performer in a classical chamber ensemble, either performing in an already established ensemble or starting up your own ensemble.
- Job Scenario: Traditionally, chamber musicians would play recitals with acoustic instrument groups in concert halls. Today, the scene is rapidly changing, with many groups performing amplified in “downtown venues.” Some traditional chamber ensembles include the Guarneri String Quartet, the Canadian Brass Ensemble, etc. Less traditional and more innovative groups include the Kronos Quartet and the young entrepreneurial ensemble Groupmuse.
- Salary: Varies tremendously based on a number of factors. Many chamber music groups make money in academic residencies, performing various gigs and weddings, merchandising their brand, selling cds, etc
I tried to purchase your e-book and it said it didn’t recognize my address. I completed the form correctly.
Penny, thanks for being in touch. I apologize PayPal’s form is giving you difficulty. Do you have a work address or different address you could try? The address isn’t so important, just a default required field from PayPal.
Hi Bill,
Thank you for presenting this article. It is a very practical and clear demonstration of the many possibilities for musicians to contemplate, as they project out their life and career. By having the tangible examples, it shows that thinking outside the box of what they have been narrowly preparing for, is quite achievable.
I have met too many depressed music students and graduates who felt stuck and unmotivated, because they cannot get that elite job in an orchestra, or the teaching job at a great school. There are so many ways to share your passion for music and work in the “field”, even if it is not directly as a performer. My work is focusing on the need to find ways to bring more imagination, creativity and human connection into the field – bringing the art back into the musical arts. I believe if we approach our art creatively, then we can also conceive of variations on how it is possible to make a living. Entrepreneurship – a hot topic right now in higher education – cannot be taught or encouraged in a vacuum. By thinking in more broad ways about the many different career paths, and how we can think and act more creatively, starts with details. You have provided this and should be applauded for this contribution. Again thank you!
Roderick
Sorry but film composers don’t create “background” music for picture. Film music is every bit a part of story telling, same as acting or costume design or set design, especially original music that is created specifically for the scene. Has nothing to do with being a background track.
Aaron Copland composed the music for the Oscar winning film, The Heiress starring Olivia deHavilland and Montgomery Clift. In previews, the audience laughed in the heartbreaking scene when the carriage she awaited for her elopement passed her house. They had Copland write music for that scene and completely changed the audience reaction to tears. Kind of a big difference made simply by the genius of the composer.
Copland had a hand from Arnold Schoenberg, with an atonal passage that fully conveyed The deHavilland charachter’s despair as she awaited the Clift character to pick her up and take her away, which, of course, he never did. It became an iconic moment and a good lesson for those who want to create moments like that not only in films but in stage works as well.
Yay glad you posted some music business/audio arts type things!
Opera Cleveland went out of business several years ago.
Thanks for the diligent reading, it has been noted in the article
Awesome list! I am studying Music Therapy right now and I must say, it works well for any population. It can range from autism to physical impairments, and it includes everyone. We use music to establish non-musical goals such as increasing social interactions, increasing physical movement, and allowing for creativity in a non-threatening environment. The best thing about music is it is a form of nonverbal communication: the client does not have to be able to speak to respond to it. 🙂
Oh this is encouraging thanks Tera. I am thinking of taking music therapy in master’s programme. 🙂
How well does your career pay as of now and what city are you in?
Very inspiring article that l shared with my 15 year old violinist daughter. She’s expressed an interest in becoming a music therapist which combines 2 of her passions and life experience as she has been in and out of therapy on account of her being Selectively Mute. She can be quite rigid in thought and a typical teenager who doesn’t believe a word her parents tell her about life so it was great showing her the many career options and possibilities that exist for musicians.
This is a great list of possibilities, although many of these jobs require training in business, marketing, communications (esp. theatre and r/tv/sound production), public or non-profit administration, etc. It’d be great if more music instructors passed this info on and advised students to consider taking on at least a minor if not a double major depending on what they may be leaning toward.
What about the Composer category?
You should also include Ballet Accompanist – it takes separate skills from being a traditional accompanist. My sister is one with the Houston Ballet and she loves it!
Great list of music-related careers. I have one correction though for the Pit Musician entry, being a Broadway musician myself. The current union scale for a regular, full-time orchestra musician is a MINIMUM of $1680 per week, with a current per-show rate for substitutes of $210. There are pay increases for instrument doubles or other additional required duties. Source: http://www.local802afm.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Broadway-Scales-2014.pdf
Whoa, I hope no aspiring artist managers will be going after %50 of what the artist makes. 15-20% is more the industry standard.
You’re right Gary, 50% is an extreme case. It does happen though
It’s worth noting that most beginning composers will cobble together many of the things on that list- arranging, engraving, film/jingle/game composing, orchestration, teaching, etc., because no single one of them will be enough money to live on. Out in LA there are thousands of aspiring composers all fiercely competing for a small amount of jobs, so if you want to go that route expect to work a day job for at least a few years before breaking in (if you break in at all). There are, however, other more realistic music jobs that you can actually live on, but most require extensive experience and additional degrees so I’d suggest doing plenty of internships, planning ahead, researching grad. schools, and watching the job boards to see if the field you’re pursuing is actually hiring or if it’s one of those mythical jobs like ‘film composer’ that is so rare and competitive that you’re highly unlikely to ever attain it. ‘It’ll work out somehow’ is a very dangerous mentality to have, especially in our new economy. Musicians have to pay rent too, so plan ahead!
What about music librarians? They work for ensembles, universities, public libraries, and others! There are great resources here http://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/?page=JobsAndCareers
Never mind my last comment–I see you filed them under M and not L. 🙂 Would you consider adding the link though? Thanks and sorry.
Okay you had me until you got to music therapist. You do NOT do that with a music degree. You need a bachelor in music therapy to have that career. Music therapy is SOOO much more then playing music for people and watching them get better. It is much more academic. Not to say though that a music degree would hurt. You do need to be a musician…
I agree. You can not be a music therapist with a music degree.
That’s true, you have to actually have a music therapy degree in order to practice it, quite unethical, accorfibg to the American Music Therapy Association, for anyone to practice music therapy without the appropriate credentials.
I must say that I enjoyef reading the blog, I learnef a lot, even the fact that I am grossly underpaid as the church pianist for 18 years, especially with a Master’s degree. This concerns me.
BRAVO to Bill the blogger. Very well done–I wish everyone here having a Love for music the greatest success in all these wonderful music career spin-offs. 70 flavors ! The well researched job descriptions are very helpful.
Over the years i have noticed many music majors shift into careers which match the aptitudes and skill sets of music making such as being “a good listener”, “following the score–plan”, “excellence in timing and anticipation”, “ensemble–team work”, “good at math”, “disciplined” , “focused” , “looks good in a Tuxedo”—- the list goes on!
I personally chose architecture, and play violin as a volunteer with the Denver Philharmonic– a successful community orchestra ! We recently took a survey and found that over 50% of our unpaid orchestra section players have degrees in music performance ! Many of our music majors work now in software design, IT, engineering, law, even real estate. Many others still teach, and have small chamber groups on the side. I will share your encouraging blog on our facebook page.
Hi Bill, I loved your article and how you made it so I could see what good things come from each job. I would love to choose one of these as my musical career.
Instrument Repair Technician – self employed
Music Instrument Dealer – self employed
If you’re an artist manager and are taking more than 25% , no one is going to work with you. Also, it’s a really greedy thing to do.
Thanks bill! Thank you so much for the e-book.
I liked your suggestion for becoming an Alexander Technique teacher. The technique has proven itself to be helpful to thousands of musicians and non-musicians alike. The training to become a teacher is life changing. But, I’d also like to point out that to become an AmSAT certified teacher of the technique, one must complete a 3-year, 1600-hour course. It’s a real commitment (and totally worth it), and not something one just does “on the side”.
How does one get into making music for films being a pianist who is eighteen?
Seems to me like the Berklee School kids just aren’t getting high paying jobs… I’m a Frost alumni making over $100k a year arranging, and most of my colleagues make a similar wage.
The most beneficial degree is the Bachelor of Music Ed., in that you can get in field with only a 4 year post secondary education. The salary is enough to start ($30,000 and greater.) for 9 months of which you can still gig a lot. Now a days the pension comes in handy.
In California, and many other states, a K12 music teacher needs the 4 year single subject music degree, plus Teaching Credential which is an additional 30 units and often takes a fifth year to complete. I have noticed that music teachers are being hired again in my local area if SoCal. Good News!
It would’ve been really helpful if you could’ve also posted which music degrees you need for that specific job
yea that would me really helpfull
I tune pianos, and I see the price you said to charge per tuning was $150. Can you tell me your source for deriving this number? Thank you!
hi bill zuckerman, i want study in usa. what is the duration of undergraduate, graduate and masters in music in universities like juilliad school of music, curtis, jacobs etc.
please give me the details thankyou
I completed my Bachelor in interior design. I aim to become a singer and also i am intrested in recording studio work. I have no idea which major and university I should get enrolled in if possible for masters. and also I don’t know about the careers can I make with my life on it. I am really in need of help. If any one knows about it then please let me know.
My grandson was wanting to get a 4 year degree in music performance. He has played the violin since 5th grade. He is discouraged because he thought he could get a job with an orchestra performing. He has been told that it could take 20 years up to 40 for openings in different orchestras. What other careers could he pursue if he got this degree? Everything has been complete for attending college at UNT of Denton, Texas and now he is discouraged. Your thoughts or advice on this. Thank You
Orchestra jobs are becoming more difficult to get than ever before. If you look at the funding problems that many orchestras such as Fort Worth Symphony are having, an aspiring musician has to be realistic about the future employment possibilities.
You didn’t mention one of the potentially most lucrative jobs in music: Studio musician. Even though this had become tougher to get into than ever because of runaway production and other reasons, there are still quite a number of musicians making 6 figure incomes. This would include traditional strings, guitars, woodwinds, brass, percussion, vocalists, and electronic instrumentation. Plus arranging, composing, orchestration, music editing, recording engineer, etc. This business is almost entirely in LA, New York, and Nashville. These days many studio players are also established orchestra and show musicians as well.
To understand the music jobs, you must have a thorough understanding of music, harmony theory, instrumentation and arrangement which you can learn only when you study music in a good music institute like AAFT school of performing arts, that provides various job opportunities for the creative and talented music students.
Thanks so much for this. I want to be involved in the music industry I just don’t know exactly what I want to do yet, these salaries make it a little easier to decide though.
Several job opportunities are open for budding musicians and chances of fetching it becomes higher if you are a graduate from a musical institute. One must perform music courses from eminent music school like AAFT school of performing arts in order to make a mark in the music industry & have something unique in your art to get noticed.
Good morning
I have a bachelor in computer science. And I want to enter music production in my master degree. I would like to know if it is possible
Thanks so much for this article! I am a senior music student and I felt so paralyzed by the opportunities I knew of, because I love singing, but I’ve taught children before and it was pretty stressful and I don’t know if it’s for me. I wanted to know I could do something with my degree that could be potentially stable but also not as stressful as teaching. Before this article I thought I only had 2 or 3 options: perform, teach, or head to grad school (and become a really brainy musicologist, which I give the utmost respect, that’s some of my favorite teachers but not what I wanted to do with my life.) I love performing but don’t want it to base my entire career on. I want to be able to feed and spend time with my future family I haven’t met yet 😉
this is really helpful, i’ve been studying a course i was forced to study, because music was not really appreciated by my guardian, with the excuse that i cant make a living off it, but this is more about passion, what i was called to do in life, i’ve been secretly recording music, while in school, till i have to end the school, just to take a new course “music. “”I consider this a motivation, to me as a young growing musician”.
Once again Thank You.