Career profile · SOC 27-2042

Musicians and Singers

Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording.

Median salary
$49,130
per year
Growth outlook
Little Or No Change
BLS 10-yr
Education
No formal educational credential
AI exposure
4.3/10
automation risk

Salary distribution (US)

Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.

Bottom 10%
$25,700
25th %ile
$33,370
Median
$49,130
75th %ile
$79,180
Top 10%
$105,680

Top skills

Active Listening Social Perceptiveness Coordination Critical Thinking Time Management Active Learning Speaking Monitoring Complex Problem Solving

Knowledge you'll build

  • Fine Arts
  • English Language
  • Communications and Media
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Education and Training
  • Administration and Management

A day in the life

No two days look alike—one morning you are in a rehearsal studio running through set lists with your bandmates, and the next you are alone in a practice room drilling scales and sight-reading new charts. Afternoons could mean a recording session where you lay down tracks in a studio, collaborating with a producer to get the tone and feel just right. Evenings are often the main event: sound-checking at a venue, performing for a live audience, and feeding off the energy of the crowd. Between gigs you spend time networking, promoting shows on social media, and writing or arranging new material to keep your repertoire fresh.

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