Music degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in music earn a median $43,753 four years after finishing, across 263 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in music earn $45,805, $16,244 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is other teachers and instructors (6%).
Median across 263 colleges; middle half $39,549–$49,186.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $26,251–$68,433. 3,759 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Music"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$10,167/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs music graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in music actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Teachers And Instructors | 6% | — | — | — | — |
| Musicians And Singers | 6% | — | +0.3% | No formal educational credential | AE |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 5% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Other Managers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Secondary School Teachers | 3% | $70,930 | -0.2% | — | — |
| Music Directors And Composers | 2% | $73,710 | +1.2% | Bachelor's degree | AE |
| Software Developers | 2% | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree | IC |
| Retail Salespersons | 2% | $35,410 | -0.3% | No formal educational credential | EC |
These 8 jobs account for 30% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Music earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $41,768 (5) | — |
| Arizona | $41,610 (3) | — |
| California | $42,269 (23) | $52,145 (579) |
| Colorado | $39,186 (6) | $50,274 (102) |
| Connecticut | $56,104 (8) | — |
| Florida | $41,298 (9) | $34,633 (162) |
| Georgia | $34,150 (5) | — |
| Illinois | $44,072 (14) | $46,177 (160) |
| Indiana | $38,682 (5) | — |
| Iowa | $50,180 (3) | — |
| Kentucky | $39,168 (7) | — |
| Louisiana | $39,440 (4) | — |
| Maryland | $39,287 (6) | — |
| Massachusetts | $39,692 (7) | $48,881 (124) |
| Michigan | $46,444 (6) | — |
| Minnesota | $44,136 (6) | — |
| Missouri | $40,496 (5) | — |
| New Jersey | $50,418 (11) | $41,286 (130) |
| New York | $41,122 (13) | $50,274 (394) |
| North Carolina | $40,206 (8) | $45,686 (100) |
| Ohio | $44,037 (17) | $47,717 (100) |
| Oklahoma | $44,068 (4) | — |
| Oregon | $39,928 (5) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $42,222 (10) | $47,226 (140) |
| Tennessee | $45,100 (11) | $48,881 (218) |
| Texas | $55,572 (20) | $53,696 (245) |
| Utah | $40,597 (5) | — |
| Virginia | $47,586 (9) | $55,622 (102) |
| Washington | $41,181 (5) | — |
| Wisconsin | $44,346 (4) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where music graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 29 in Florida, 34 in Virginia, 66 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sonoma State UniversityCA | $65,533 | — |
| 2 | Christopher Newport UniversityVA | $63,852 | — |
| 3 | University of FloridaFL | $61,446 | — |
| 4 | University of RedlandsCA | $59,275 | $27,000 |
| 5 | University of California-San DiegoCA | $58,071 | $18,938 |
| 6 | Old Dominion UniversityVA | $52,028 | $26,000 |
| 7 | James Madison UniversityVA | $51,882 | $20,968 |
| 8 | Biola UniversityCA | $50,781 | $26,417 |
| 9 | Florida International UniversityFL | $50,677 | $14,882 |
| 10 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVA | $48,028 | $27,000 |
| 11 | California State University-Long BeachCA | $47,831 | $20,550 |
| 12 | University of California-Los AngelesCA | $47,779 | $23,119 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Music degree questions
How much do Music graduates make?
Music graduates earn a median $43,753 four years after finishing, across 263 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $39,549 to $49,186; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in music, the median is $45,805 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Music degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in music earn a median $45,805: $16,244 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $10,167 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Music graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in music, the most common jobs are other teachers and instructors (6%), musicians and singers (6%), elementary and middle school teachers (5%).
How much do Music graduates earn in Florida?
Across 9 Florida colleges reporting, Music graduates earn a median $41,298 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $34,633.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Music degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/music.