Musician job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

11

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$47.80/hr

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Musicians and Singers (O*NET-SOC 27-2042.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings. importance 4.9 of 5
2. Practice performances, individually or in rehearsal with other musicians, to master individual pieces of music or to maintain and improve skills. importance 4.8 of 5
3. Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music. importance 4.6 of 5
4. Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands. importance 4.4 of 5
5. Provide the musical background for live shows, such as ballets, operas, musical theatre, and cabarets. importance 4.3 of 5
6. Play from memory or by following scores. importance 4.3 of 5
7. Sight-read musical parts during rehearsals. importance 4.0 of 5
8. Seek out and learn new music suitable for live performance or recording. importance 3.9 of 5
9. Listen to recordings to master pieces or to maintain and improve skills. importance 3.9 of 5
10. Make or participate in recordings. importance 3.8 of 5
11. Make or participate in recordings in music studios. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Processing Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events and Thinking Creatively.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Sing as a soloist or as a member of a vocal group.
• Interpret or modify music, applying knowledge of harmony, melody, rhythm, and voice production to individualize presentations and maintain audience interest.
• Practice singing exercises and study with vocal coaches to develop voice and skills and to rehearse for upcoming roles.
• Sing a cappella or with musical accompaniment.
• Teach music for specific instruments.
• Transpose music to alternate keys, or to fit individual styles or purposes.

Knowledge areas: Fine Arts.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Facebook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word, SAP software, Acoustica Mixcraft. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists long-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a musician.

Job title: Musician
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Musician to play one or more musical instruments or sing.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in speaking, active listening and monitoring
- Working knowledge of Fine Arts
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Facebook or Microsoft Excel]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median hourly wage was $47.80 in May 2025.

BLS projects employment of Musicians and Singers to grow 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 17,400 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full musician salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real musician posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only musician work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (speaking and active listening); musician interview questions turns them into practice questions.