Music Therapists
Plan, organize, direct, or assess clinical and evidenced-based music therapy interventions to positively influence individuals' physical, psychological, cognitive, or behavioral status.
Music Therapists plan, organize, direct, or assess clinical and evidenced-based music therapy interventions to positively influence individuals' physical, psychological, cognitive, or behavioral status. The role reports a median annual salary of $65,010 in the US and is projected to grow 12% over the next decade (faster than average). Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows low AI exposure (0.23 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include psychiatric diagnostics, health care legislation, music therapy schools, cognitive psychology, health care occupation-specific ethics.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £42,079 a year for Other health professionals n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £34,346 to £49,077 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2259). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Music Therapists, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Fine Arts
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
What you'd actually do
- Design or provide music therapy experiences to address client needs, such as using music for self-care, adjusting to life changes, improving cognitive functioning, raising self-esteem, communicating, or controlling impulses.
- Design music therapy experiences, using various musical elements to meet client's goals or objectives.
- Sing or play musical instruments, such as keyboard, guitar, or percussion instruments.
- Communicate with clients to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect upon their reactions to musical experiences.
- Customize treatment programs for specific areas of music therapy, such as intellectual or developmental disabilities, educational settings, geriatrics, medical settings, mental health, physical disabilities, or wellness.
- Establish client goals or objectives for music therapy treatment, considering client needs, capabilities, interests, overall therapeutic program, coordination of treatment, or length of treatment.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Music Therapists do?
Plan, organize, direct, or assess clinical and evidenced-based music therapy interventions to positively influence individuals' physical, psychological, cognitive, or behavioral status.
How much does Music Therapists earn?
The median annual salary for Music Therapists in the US is $65,010.
What is the job outlook for Music Therapists?
The role is projected to grow 12% over the next decade (faster than average). Current US employment is approximately 56,100 workers.
How do I become music therapists?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Music Therapists need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include psychiatric diagnostics, health care legislation, music therapy schools, cognitive psychology, health care occupation-specific ethics, inter-professional communication in the psychosocial field. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Music Therapists?
Our AI-durability model gives Music Therapists a score of 0.23 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Music Therapists has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.