Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations·SOC 27-2042

Best programs to become a musician

You do not need a college degree to become a musician. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Music and Musical Theatre (IPEDS completions).

12 college programs at 1,160 schools train musicians and singers, graduating 22,621 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $47.80/hr (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Graduates / yr

22,621

from every feeder program

Median hourly wage

$47.80/hr

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

+1.1%

Little or no change

Openings / yr

19,400

new plus replacement

Schools

1,160

with a feeder program

States with jobs

incl. DC, BLS wages

About musicians and singers

Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording.

Also calledSingerMusicianViolinistChoir MemberTenorBuglerCantorOboistRapperCellistFlutistHarpist

Best programs to study to become a musician

Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#	Program	Graduates / yr	Share of pipeline	Schools	Grad earnings (1 yr)	Median debt
1	Music, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0901	10,232	45.2%	976	$25,929	$25,980
2	Music Performance, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0903	6,946	30.7%	375	$25,929	$25,980
3	Musical Theatre CIP 50.0509	1,212	5.4%	123	$20,667	$24,994
4	Music, Othermain feeder CIP 50.0999	1,199	5.3%	88	$25,929	$25,980
5	Voice and Operamain feeder CIP 50.0908	641	2.8%	81	$25,929	$25,980
6	Jazz/Jazz Studiesmain feeder CIP 50.0910	592	2.6%	59	$25,929	$25,980
7	Stringed Instrumentsmain feeder CIP 50.0911	583	2.6%	29	$25,929	$25,980
8	Keyboard Instrumentsmain feeder CIP 50.0907	528	2.3%	59	$25,929	$25,980
9	Music Pedagogymain feeder CIP 50.0912	397	1.8%	51	$25,929	$25,980
10	Woodwind Instrumentsmain feeder CIP 50.0915	148	0.7%	16	$25,929	$25,980
11	Brass Instrumentsmain feeder CIP 50.0914	103	0.5%	15	$25,929	$25,980
12	Percussion Instrumentsmain feeder CIP 50.0916	40	0.2%	14	$25,929	$25,980

Top 50 schools by graduates into this job

Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#	School	Graduates / yr	Top feeder program	Grad rate	Net price	Acceptance
1	Berklee College of Music Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs	747	Music Performance, General	67%	$46,197	44%
2	Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN Public · 11 feeder programs	430	Music Performance, General	80%	—	78%
3	Manhattan School of Music New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs	332	Keyboard Instruments	78%	$53,742	41%
4	University of North Texas Denton, TX Public · 3 feeder programs	292	Music Performance, General	61%	—	72%
5	The New England Conservatory of Music Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs	258	Stringed Instruments	73%	$38,781	41%
6	The New School New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs	250	Music Performance, General	69%	$54,185	63%
7	The Juilliard School New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs	234	Stringed Instruments	93%	$29,763	9%
8	New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs	227	Music Performance, General	88%	$29,023	9%
9	Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	216	Music Performance, General	94%	$11,888	6%
10	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs	213	Music Performance, General	92%	$26,873	10%
11	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 6 feeder programs	204	Music Performance, General	93%	—	16%
12	University of Rochester Rochester, NY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs	200	Music Performance, General	85%	$25,874	40%
13	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs	193	Music Pedagogy	65%	$28,911	99%
14	Musicians Institute Hollywood, CA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs	181	Music Performance, General	53%	$37,963	78%
15	California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 3 feeder programs	174	Music Performance, General	57%	—	93%
16	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Public · 3 feeder programs	174	Music Performance, General	86%	—	24%
17	University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH Public · 4 feeder programs	164	Music Performance, General	75%	—	85%
18	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs	157	Music Performance, General	68%	—	90%
19	Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 7 feeder programs	151	Music Performance, General	75%	—	80%
20	Northwestern University Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs	146	Music Performance, General	95%	$14,799	8%
21	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 3 feeder programs	146	Music, General	89%	—	27%
22	American Musical and Dramatic Academy New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program	144	Musical Theatre	72%	$40,932	24%
23	Belmont University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs	143	Music, Other	71%	$29,246	95%
24	Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs	140	Music Performance, General	89%	$21,956	11%
25	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 6 feeder programs	129	Music Performance, General	81%	—	85%
26	San Francisco Conservatory of Music San Francisco, CA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs	128	Stringed Instruments	74%	$39,487	55%
27	University of Miami Coral Gables, FL Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs	127	Music, Other	84%	$26,589	19%
28	Yale University New Haven, CT Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs	125	Stringed Instruments	96%	$27,025	4%
29	Oberlin College Oberlin, OH Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs	118	Music Performance, General	81%	$28,313	34%
30	University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO Public · 2 feeder programs	118	Music Performance, General	74%	—	78%
31	University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 5 feeder programs	118	Music, General	85%	—	42%
32	University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC Public · 3 feeder programs	116	Music, General	79%	—	60%
33	Texas State University San Marcos, TX Public · 3 feeder programs	106	Music, General	55%	—	89%
34	DePaul University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs	103	Music Performance, General	68%	$28,141	76%
35	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Public · 2 feeder programs	100	Music, General	75%	—	84%
36	Montclair State University Montclair, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs	99	Music, General	65%	—	88%
37	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX Public · 5 feeder programs	99	Music, General	69%	—	73%
38	Longy School of Music of Bard College Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs	98	Voice and Opera	78%	$43,291	—
39	University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD Public · 2 feeder programs	98	Music, General	89%	—	45%
40	Cleveland Institute of Music Cleveland, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program	97	Music Performance, General	72%	$32,899	47%
41	Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs	97	Music Performance, General	84%	—	58%
42	University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO Public · 2 feeder programs	96	Music, General	51%	—	86%
43	Roosevelt University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs	95	Musical Theatre	35%	$21,085	97%
44	Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX Public · 1 feeder program	93	Music, General	53%	—	94%
45	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC Public · 3 feeder programs	93	Music Performance, General	56%	—	89%
46	Shenandoah University Winchester, VA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs	92	Music Performance, General	67%	$27,455	77%
47	University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO Public · 3 feeder programs	92	Music Performance, General	55%	—	72%
48	Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs	91	Music, General	52%	$28,087	89%
49	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA Public · 2 feeder programs	91	Music Performance, General	69%	—	73%
50	University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 2 feeder programs	91	Music, General	65%	—	74%

Fields of study that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.

Visual And Performing Arts

CIP 50.09

Music

21,409graduates / yr

976 schools · 11 specializations · 94.7% of pipeline

Grad earnings $25,929

Visual And Performing Arts

CIP 50.05

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

1,212graduates / yr

123 schools · 1 specialization · 5.4% of pipeline

Grad earnings $20,667

What musicians and singers earn

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median hourly wage

$47.80/hr

Mean hourly

$60.46/hr

People employed

36,180

BLS publishes an hourly wage only for this occupation. The work is intermittent, so no annual figure is estimated.

States with the most of these jobs

BLS publishes no annual wage for this occupation, so these are ranked by employment.

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34

+1.1%

Little or no change

Openings per year

19,400

new jobs plus replacements

Employment change

1,800

169,800 → 171,600

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

Plus long-term on-the-job training

Where the jobs are, state by state

Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.

This occupation state by state: pay, jobs, and schools
State	Median pay	Jobs	Concentration	Schools	Graduates / yr
California	—	6,840	1.61×	148	2,869
New York	—	5,470	2.42×	67	2,327
Texas	—	1,430	0.44×	82	2,035
Massachusetts	—	680	0.80×	33	1,564
Illinois	—	1,300	0.92×	49	983
Ohio	—	1,760	1.36×	35	913
Florida	—	2,130	0.92×	31	839
Pennsylvania	—	1,160	0.82×	52	803
Virginia	—	400	0.42×	33	665
Tennessee	—	1,860	2.44×	30	659
Michigan	—	1,340	1.31×	33	624
Indiana	—	400	0.53×	25	600
New Jersey	—	570	0.58×	19	509
Colorado	—	420	0.63×	16	481
North Carolina	—	750	0.65×	40	443
Georgia	—	540	0.47×	30	413
Maryland	—	570	0.88×	14	405
Missouri	—	620	0.90×	28	362
Wisconsin	—	380	0.56×	25	354
Arizona	—	410	0.54×	15	323
Connecticut	—	520	1.31×	15	307
Louisiana	—	150	0.34×	17	297
Oklahoma	—	280	0.70×	19	285
Utah	—	230	0.58×	10	285
Alabama	—	190	0.40×	21	277
Washington	—	750	0.91×	25	270
South Carolina	—	330	0.62×	21	245
Kentucky	—	130	0.28×	15	217
Minnesota	—	540	0.79×	33	216
Kansas	—	260	0.78×	14	209
Iowa	—	250	0.70×	20	208
Oregon	—	1,310	2.86×	15	175
Mississippi	—	80	0.30×	18	159
Arkansas	—	110	0.36×	13	131
District of Columbia	—	200	1.21×	6	102
Nevadamoderate	—	260	0.72×	4	101
New Mexicomoderate	—	60	0.28×	4	85
Vermontmoderate	—	30	0.47×	4	56
Hawaiimoderate	—	740	5.08×	4	49
Maine	—	30	0.23×	6	43
Montanamoderate	—	260	2.17×	3	41

Skills and knowledge

From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.

What they do day to day

Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings.
Sing a cappella or with musical accompaniment.
Interpret or modify music, applying knowledge of harmony, melody, rhythm, and voice production to individualize presentations and maintain audience interest.
Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.
Sing as a soloist or as a member of a vocal group.
Observe choral leaders or prompters for cues or directions in vocal presentation.
Memorize musical selections and routines, or sing following printed text, musical notation, or customer instructions.
Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands.

Skills

Speaking3.4
Monitoring3.3
Active Listening3.3
Reading Comprehension3.1
Critical Thinking3.0
Writing2.8
Active Learning2.8
Learning Strategies2.6

Knowledge areas

Fine Arts4.5
English Language3.1
Foreign Language2.5
Education and Training2.5
Communications and Media2.4
Customer and Personal Service2.4

Abilities

Oral Comprehension3.9
Oral Expression3.9
Hearing Sensitivity3.8
Auditory Attention3.5
Memorization3.5
Speech Clarity3.5

Core activities

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.2
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.9
Processing Information3.8
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.8
Thinking Creatively3.8
Getting Information3.6

How to get in

How to become a musician

Typical entry education: No formal educational credential
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 12 majors mapped to Musicians and Singers12 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+

50.0509Musical Theatre
50.0901Music, General
50.0903Music Performance, General
50.0907Keyboard Instruments
50.0908Voice and Opera
50.0910Jazz/Jazz Studies
50.0911Stringed Instruments
50.0912Music Pedagogy
50.0914Brass Instruments
50.0915Woodwind Instruments
50.0916Percussion Instruments
50.0999Music, Other

Related careers

Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.

27-2041

Music Directors and Composers

$73,71012,540 jobs-0.3%

$55,3102,860 jobs+6.1%

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary

$78,62093,560 jobs+1.7%

27-2012

Producers and Directors

$90,360143,120 jobs+4.9%

Common questions

What degree do you need to become a musician?+

Which college majors lead to becoming a musician?+

The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Music and Musical Theatre (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 12 programs to this job, which together graduate about 22,621 people a year.

How much do musicians and singers earn?+

The median is $47.80 an hour (BLS OEWS May 2025). This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for musicians and singers growing?+

BLS projects a +1.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 19,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career?+

1,160 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 12 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do musicians and singers work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Singer, Musician, Violinist, Choir Member among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-2042.

↑ Zoom outAll occupations Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Musicians and Singers by stateCalifornia New York Texas Massachusetts Illinois Ohio Florida Pennsylvania Virginia Tennessee Michigan Indiana

Programs that lead hereMusic Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025
Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
Official source →
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34
Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
Official source →
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)
Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
Official source →
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohorts
Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Official source →
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest available
Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
Official source →
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018
Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
Official source →
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3
Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

All Clema data sources and release dates →

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