Average Music Major Salary
Updated September 14, 2023
$52,899

What is the average music major salary in the US?

The national average salary for a music major in the U.S. is $52,899 annually or $25.43 hourly.There is a huge gap between the top 10 percent earners and the bottom 10 percent earners -- about $75,000. The top 10 percent earn over $102,000, while the bottom 10 percent make less than $27,000 annually.Employers that have the highest concentration of job opportunities for music majors are technology companies and professional companies.New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, and New Jersey have the highest paying jobs for music major graduates.
Best Paying Cities

Average Music Salary By Company

If you are a music major graduate, you can expect good job security. However, keep in mind that some industries pay better than others.technology companies and professional companies have the most job opportunities for music major graduates.The two companies that report the highest salaries for music major graduates are Apple and Uber Technologies.In addition, companies like Music Academy of the West and Bose report highly competitive salaries for music major graduates.

Average Music Major Salary By City

Music major graduates in the US make an average salary of $52,899 per year or $25.43 per hour.The city with the highest salaries for music major graduates is New York, NY at $66,125 per year.The average starting salary in New York, NY for music major graduates is $33,000.San Francisco, CA, Hartford, CT, Boston, MA, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, PA, and Portland, ME are the best cities for music major graduates looking for a higher than average salary.The top 5 states with the highest reported salaries for music major graduates are New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, and New Jersey.On the other hand, Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri, Iowa, and Kansas report the lowest wages for music major graduates.

Average Salary By Location

RankCityAverage Music SalarySalary Range
1New York, NY
$66,125
$33k
$94k
2San Francisco, CA
$64,636
$33k
$94k
3Hartford, CT
$62,043
$33k
$94k
4Boston, MA
$61,401
$33k
$94k
5Washington, DC
$56,952
$33k
$94k
6Philadelphia, PA
$55,660
$33k
$94k
7Portland, ME
$55,206
$33k
$94k
8Baltimore, MD
$55,204
$33k
$94k
9Richmond, VA
$53,931
$33k
$94k
10Des Moines, WA
$53,878
$33k
$94k
11Portland, OR
$52,249
$33k
$94k
12Phoenix, AZ
$51,544
$33k
$94k
13Columbus, OH
$50,748
$33k
$94k
14Chicago, IL
$50,436
$33k
$94k
15Richmond, IN
$50,017
$33k
$94k
16Madison, WI
$49,935
$33k
$94k
17San Antonio, TX
$49,690
$33k
$94k
18Raleigh, NC
$48,965
$33k
$94k
19Saint Paul, MN
$48,458
$33k
$94k
20Atlanta, GA
$48,324
$33k
$94k

Average Music Major Salary By Industry

The type of industry that a music major graduate works in can influence their earning potential.By looking at our data, we can see that government companies, education companies, and retail companies pay music major graduates well.government companies pay music major graduates an average salary of $64,369, education companies pay $50,100, and retail companies come in at $34,852.The average music major salary in the hospitality industry is lower than the rest, coming in at $25,900.

Average Salary By Industry

RankIndustryAverage Music Major SalaryRange
1
Government
$64,369
$22k
$86k
2
Education
$50,100
$22k
$86k
3
Retail
$34,852
$22k
$86k
4
Hospitality
$25,900
$22k
$86k

Salary History For Music Major Graduates

This data shows the national average salary between 2011-2020 among Music major graduates.

  • National Average

Music Major Salary By Experience Level

Average Salary By Experience Level Salaries By Experience Level

The salary for a music major graduate can range from $27,512 to $51,496 depending on the amount of work experience that the person has. Data on how experience level affects salary is provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as part of their National Compensation Survey, which is based on factors such as knowledge, complexity, contacts, and environment.
Experience Level
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Avg. Salary
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Hourly Rate
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Entry-level average salary by experience level$27,500$13.23
Mid-level average salary by experience level$51,300$24.66
Senior-level average salary by experience level$51,500$24.76

Salaries For Related Majors

RankMajorAverage SalaryRange
1Design And Visual Communication
$61,809
$33k
$85k
2Interior Design
$56,785
$33k
$85k
3Art Studies
$52,801
$33k
$85k
4Visual And Performing Arts
$52,654
$33k
$85k
5Music Performance
$52,211
$33k
$85k
6Graphic Design
$50,589
$33k
$85k
7Fine Arts
$50,533
$33k
$85k
8Theatre
$50,427
$33k
$85k
9Entertainment Business
$48,049
$33k
$85k
10Photography
$47,855
$33k
$85k
11Dance
$45,818
$33k
$85k