How to Become a Musician / Singer
Perform music for live audiences and recordings, in bands, orchestras, choirs, studios and solo. It typically requires a no formal credential (training and auditions), with a median salary of Varies per year and slower than average projected job growth.
Median pay
Varies/yr
Job growth
Slower than average
Openings / yr
19,400
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Musical Technique
- Sight Reading
- Practice Discipline
- Stage Presence
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a Musician / Singer make?
Pay for a Musician / Singer varies widely, and the BLS does not publish a single national median for this role. What you earn depends on experience, location, and whether you work for an employer or yourself.
What degree do you need to become a Musician / Singer?
The usual entry point is a no formal credential (training and auditions). Common majors are Music and Music Education.
Is Musician / Singer a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is slower than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 19,400 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Musician / Singer use most?
Common skills for this role are Musical Technique, Sight Reading, Practice Discipline, and Stage Presence.
Planning to become a Musician / Singer?
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).