Musician: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.
The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.
Musicians play one or more musical instruments or sing. The median pay is $47.80 an hour (BLS, May 2025).
- Median pay
- $47.80/hr
- BLS May 2025
- Employed in the U.S.
- 36,180
- BLS May 2025
- Preparation
- Job Zone 4 of 5
- considerable preparation
Data Government data groups this job as Musicians and Singers (O*NET-SOC 27-2042.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.
Musicians at a glance
Musicians and singers in the United States earned a median hourly wage of $47.80 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education for musicians and singers in the United States.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
BLS projects employment of musicians and singers in the United States to grow 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 17,400 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
BLS estimated that 36,180 people were employed as musicians and singers in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Every page for Musicians
What musicians do day to day
Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).
- Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings.
- Practice performances, individually or in rehearsal with other musicians, to master individual pieces of music or to maintain and improve skills.
- Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.
- Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands.
- Provide the musical background for live shows, such as ballets, operas, musical theatre, and cabarets.
- Play from memory or by following scores.
- Sight-read musical parts during rehearsals.
- Seek out and learn new music suitable for live performance or recording.
Industries that employ it
Data Share of all musician jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).
- Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations35.3% of all jobs in this occupation · -1.7% projected change here 2025–35
- Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries12.5% of all jobs in this occupation · +0.2% projected change here 2025–35
- Educational services; state, local, and private3.0% of all jobs in this occupation · +2.3% projected change here 2025–35
- Motion picture and sound recording industries0.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +6.9% projected change here 2025–35
- Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries0.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +7.2% projected change here 2025–35
- Accommodation0.0% of all jobs in this occupation · +7.4% projected change here 2025–35
Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.
Ranked by importance to the job
Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.
Knowledge areas: Fine Arts.
Software musicians use
Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.
- FacebookWeb page creation and editing softwareHot technology
- Acoustica MixcraftMusic or sound editing software
- Apple GarageBandMusic or sound editing software
- AudacityMusic or sound editing software
- Avid Technology Pro ToolsMusic or sound editing software
- Avid Technology SibeliusMusic or sound editing software
- Blogging softwareWeb page creation and editing software
- Cantovation Sing & SeeComputer based training software
- InstagramWeb page creation and editing software
- MakeMusic FinaleMusic or sound editing software
- YouTubeVideo creation and editing software
- iZotope OzoneMusic or sound editing software
Also called: Chorister, Drummer, Opera Singer, Orchestra Musician, Percussionist.
How this page is built
Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.
- How a specific employer defines the job.
- Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
- Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.