Education:
29%
Bachelor's Degree
19%
Less than a High School Diploma
Musician or Singer
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Job Outlook:
Little or no change
Education:
None
Work From Home
Salary
High:
Not Available
Average:
Not Available
Hourly
Average:
$50.21
What they do:
Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording.
On the job, you would:
- 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.
Important Qualities
Dedication. Auditioning for jobs can be a frustrating process because it may take many different auditions to get hired. Musicians and singers must be determined to continue auditioning after receiving rejections.
Discipline. Talent is not enough for most musicians and singers to find employment in this field. They must practice and rehearse consistently to improve their technique, style, and performance.
Interpersonal skills. Musicians and singers need to work well with a variety of people, such as agents, producers, and conductors. They must be able to build connections and create good working relationships.
Musical talent. Professional musicians or singers must have superior musical abilities.
Physical stamina. Musicians and singers who perform on stage or go on tour for weeks or months must be able to endure frequent travel and irregular performance schedules.
Promotional skills. To build a fan base, musicians and singers need to promote their music and performances through local communities, word of mouth, and social media.
Personality
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
|---|---|---|---|
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91% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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87% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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82% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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82% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
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81% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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79% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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77% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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74% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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70% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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67% | Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. | |
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67% | Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
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97% | Artistic - Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
|---|---|---|---|
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78% | Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. | |
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72% | Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. |
Aptitude
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
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72% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. | |
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72% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. | |
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69% | Hearing Sensitivity - The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness. |
Job Details
Responsibilities
Perform music for the public.
Perform music for the public.
Perform music for the public.
Perform music for the public.
Perform music for the public.
Perform music for the public.
Perform music for the public.
Perform music for the public.
Study details of musical compositions.
Perform music for the public.
Practice athletic or artistic skills.
Study details of musical compositions.
Train others on performance techniques.
Perform music for the public.
Audition for roles.
Practice athletic or artistic skills.
Perform for recordings.
Promote products, activities, or organizations.
Perform for recordings.
Conduct research to inform art, designs, or other work.
Practice athletic or artistic skills.
Create musical compositions, arrangements or scores.
Coordinate musical rehearsals or performances.
Create musical compositions, arrangements or scores.
Create musical compositions, arrangements or scores.
Perform music for the public.
Coordinate logistics for productions or events.
Create musical compositions, arrangements or scores.
Perform music for the public.
Practice athletic or artistic skills.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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90% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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90% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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89% | Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? | |
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81% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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77% | Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting? | |
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76% | Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? | |
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75% | Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? | |
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69% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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68% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
|---|---|---|---|
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80% | Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. | |
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73% | Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. | |
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71% | Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. | |
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71% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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69% | Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. | |
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66% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
What Musicians and Singers Do
Musicians in bands may play clubs and bars while they try to build enough fans to get a recording contract or representation by an agent.
Musicians and singers play instruments or sing for live audiences and in recording studios. They perform a variety of genres, such as classical, jazz, and rock.
Duties
Musicians and singers typically do the following:
- Perform music for live audiences and recordings
- Audition for positions in orchestras, choirs, bands, and other types of music groups
- Practice playing instruments or singing to improve their technique
- Rehearse music and parts to prepare for performances
- Find and book locations for performances or concerts
- Promote their careers by maintaining a website or social media presence or by doing photo shoots and interviews
Musicians play one or more instruments. To make themselves more marketable, many become proficient in multiple musical instruments or styles. Some diversify by both singing and playing instruments.
Musicians play solo or in orchestras, bands, or limited-size groups, such as trios. Those in bands or groups may play at small venues, such as private parties or bars, sometimes building enough of a fan base to get a recording contract or representation by an agent. Musicians who work in orchestras perform in venues with a stage large enough to accommodate all the musicians and their instruments. A few orchestra musicians become section leaders, who may be responsible for assigning parts to other musicians or for leading rehearsals.
Singers perform vocal music in a variety of genres. Some specialize in a particular vocal style, such as opera or jazz. Singers may perform in different languages, such as French or Italian, particularly if they specialize in classical music or opera. In addition to singing, those in opera and musical theater productions must act during their performances.
Musicians who specialize in playing backup for a singer or band leader during recording sessions and live performances are known as session musicians. Singers who provide background vocals to harmonize with or support a lead singer are known as backup singers or backing vocalists.
Sometimes, musicians and singers write their own music to record and perform. For more information about careers in songwriting, see the profile on music directors and composers.
Some musicians and singers give private music lessons to children and adults. Others with a background in music may teach music in elementary, middle, and high schools, which typically requires a bachelor’s degree and a teaching license. For more information, see the profiles on kindergarten and elementary school teachers, middle school teachers, and high school teachers.
Work Environment
Musicians and singers held about 173,500 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of musicians and singers were as follows:
| Self-employed workers | 48% |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | 37 |
| Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries | 11 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 3 |
Musicians and singers perform in settings such as concert halls, churches, and clubs. Musicians and singers travel frequently for performances, either locally, nationally, or internationally. When recording music, they may spend time in a studio.
Work Schedules
Musicians and singers often have irregular work schedules. This includes rehearsing and performing during the day or night on weekdays and weekends.
Many musicians and singers find only part-time or intermittent work and may have long periods of unemployment between jobs. The stress of constantly looking for work may require them to accept full-time jobs in other occupations while working part time as a musician or singer.
Getting Started
How to Become a Musician or Singer
Those who work as classical musicians or singers may pursue a degree in a field such as music performance.
Musicians and singers typically do not need formal postsecondary education to enter the occupation. However, those pursuing careers in some genres, such as classical or opera, may choose to earn a bachelor’s or higher degree. Musicians and singers need extensive training and regular practice to acquire their skills.
Education
Musicians and singers typically need no postsecondary education to enter the occupation. Musicians and singers of some genres, such as classical music and opera, may pursue training that leads to a bachelor’s degree in a field such as music theory or performance. To be accepted into one of these programs, applicants typically are required to submit recordings or to audition in person and sometimes must do both.
Undergraduate music programs teach students about music history and styles. In addition, they teach methods for improving instrumental and vocal techniques and musical expression. Undergraduate voice programs also may include courses in diction. Courses in a foreign language may benefit students who intend to perform in that language. Some business courses, such as marketing, may be helpful for learning about the self-promotion often required for professional musicians and singers.
Some musicians and singers choose to continue their education by pursuing a master’s degree in fine arts or music.
Training
Musicians and singers need extensive training and regular practice to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to perform music professionally. They typically begin singing or learning to play an instrument at a young age by taking private lessons and school classes. As they advance, they may participate in music camps, festivals, or fellowships.
Advancement
As with other occupations in which people perform, advancement for musicians and singers means becoming better known, finding work more easily, and earning more money for each performance. Successful musicians and singers often rely on agents or managers to find them jobs, negotiate contracts, and develop their careers. Some musicians and singers advance to leading musical groups or becoming section leaders in an orchestra. Others may advance to become music directors and composers.
Job Outlook
Employment of musicians and singers is projected to show little or no change from 2022 to 2032.
Despite limited employment growth, about 22,600 openings for musicians and singers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Interest in live music is expected to support demand across the performing arts. However, the expected decline in public attendance of classical music performances and reduced participation in church activities may slow overall employment growth for musicians and singers.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about music careers and compensation, visit
For more information about music degree programs, visit
National Association of Schools of Music
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of musicians and singers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Actors |
Actors express ideas and portray characters in theater, film, television, and other performing arts media. |
Some college, no degree | The annual wage is not available. |
|
Dancers and Choreographers |
Dancers and choreographers use dance performances to express ideas and stories. |
See How to Become One | The annual wage is not available. |
|
High School Teachers |
High school teachers teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market. |
Bachelor's degree | $62,360 |
|
Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers |
Kindergarten and elementary school teachers instruct young students in basic subjects in order to prepare them for future schooling. |
Bachelor's degree | $61,620 |
|
Middle School Teachers |
Middle school teachers educate students, typically in sixth through eighth grades. |
Bachelor's degree | $61,810 |
|
Music Directors and Composers |
Music directors lead musical groups during performances and recording sessions. Composers write and arrange original music in a variety of musical styles. |
Bachelor's degree | $62,940 |
|
Postsecondary Teachers |
Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a variety of academic subjects beyond the high school level. |
See How to Become One | $80,840 |
|
Producers and Directors |
Producers and directors make business and creative decisions about film, television, stage, and other productions. |
Bachelor's degree | $85,320 |