Musicians and Singers: salary, outlook & degrees
Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording.
Middle half —–—. 36,180 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
62% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $35,534.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 17,400 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Music | 54% | Music |
| Communications | 3% | Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other |
| Psychology | 3% | Psychology |
| General Business | 3% | Business |
| Drama And Theater Arts | 2% | Theatre · Arts and Entertainment Management |
| Business Management And Administration | 2% | Business Administration |
| English Language And Literature | 2% | English |
| Art And Music Education | 2% | — |
| Mass Media | 2% | Broadcasting / Digital Media |
| Film Video And Photographic Arts | 1% | Film and Photography |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Pay by state
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge used
- Fine Arts
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
Work styles
- Self-Confidence
- Social Orientation
- Innovation
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
People in this job tend to have Artistic (creative), Enterprising (leading) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Musicians and Singers: questions
How much do musicians and Singers make?
Musicians and Singers earn a U.S. median — a year; the middle half earn — to — (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $31,161 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is musicians and Singers a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 17,400 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a musicians and Singer?
BLS lists the typical entry education as no formal educational credential. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is music (54%).
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 27-2042. Method
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Cite this: “Musicians and Singers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/musicians-and-singers.