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Music Therapist salary
Average music therapist salary
$57,096
How much does a music therapist make?
The average music therapist salary in the United States is $57,096. Music therapist salaries typically range between $38,000 and $84,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for music therapists is $27.45 per hour.
Music therapist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Music therapists earn the highest average salary in California.
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Where can a Music Therapist earn more?
Music Therapist salary estimates from across the web
Average music therapist salary by state
Highest paying states for music therapists
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $82,555 | $39.69 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $59,710 | $28.71 |
| 3 | Texas | $62,393 | $30.00 |
| 4 | Nevada | $64,702 | $31.11 |
| 5 | Nebraska | $57,795 | $27.79 |
| 6 | Missouri | $57,859 | $27.82 |
| 7 | Arkansas | $59,779 | $28.74 |
| 8 | Utah | $63,615 | $30.58 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $66,558 | $32.00 |
| 10 | Indiana | $53,311 | $25.63 |
| 11 | New York | $65,371 | $31.43 |
| 12 | Delaware | $57,696 | $27.74 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $58,881 | $28.31 |
| 14 | Alaska | $67,918 | $32.65 |
| 15 | Virginia | $58,225 | $27.99 |
| 16 | Maryland | $57,029 | $27.42 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $56,236 | $27.04 |
| 18 | Michigan | $53,473 | $25.71 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $51,907 | $24.96 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $58,068 | $27.92 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $55,381 | $26.63 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $55,634 | $26.75 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $56,654 | $27.24 |
| 24 | Montana | $49,968 | $24.02 |
| 25 | Oregon | $54,040 | $25.98 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $49,759 | $23.92 |
| 27 | Washington | $51,516 | $24.77 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $50,163 | $24.12 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | $54,873 | $26.38 |
| 30 | Kansas | $47,847 | $23.00 |
| 31 | Georgia | $49,594 | $23.84 |
| 32 | Colorado | $51,195 | $24.61 |
| 33 | Arizona | $52,870 | $25.42 |
| 34 | Ohio | $49,495 | $23.80 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $55,728 | $26.79 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $51,633 | $24.82 |
| 37 | Iowa | $47,974 | $23.06 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $49,348 | $23.73 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $47,825 | $22.99 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $49,132 | $23.62 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $52,671 | $25.32 |
| 42 | Illinois | $48,659 | $23.39 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $48,008 | $23.08 |
| 44 | Idaho | $48,546 | $23.34 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $50,363 | $24.21 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $48,280 | $23.21 |
| 47 | Florida | $50,655 | $24.35 |
| 48 | Maine | $41,531 | $19.97 |
| 49 | Vermont | $50,152 | $24.11 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $45,292 | $21.77 |
| 51 | Alabama | $42,931 | $20.64 |
Highest paying cities for music therapists
The highest-paying cities for music therapists are Woodland, CA, New York, NY, and Fort Worth, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woodland, CA | $85,607 | $41.16 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $65,620 | $31.55 |
| 3 | Fort Worth, TX | $62,324 | $29.96 |
| 4 | Alexandria, VA | $60,202 | $28.94 |
| 5 | Kansas City, MO | $57,869 | $27.82 |
| 6 | Salisbury, MD | $57,509 | $27.65 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $56,232 | $27.03 |
| 8 | Lake Havasu City, AZ | $55,370 | $26.62 |
| 9 | Quincy, MA | $54,917 | $26.40 |
| 10 | Fort Wayne, IN | $54,020 | $25.97 |
| 11 | Portland, OR | $53,639 | $25.79 |
| 12 | Ann Arbor, MI | $53,075 | $25.52 |
| 13 | Oklahoma City, OK | $52,227 | $25.11 |
| 14 | Tallahassee, FL | $51,278 | $24.65 |
| 15 | Aurora, CO | $51,106 | $24.57 |
| 16 | Cleveland, OH | $50,850 | $24.45 |
| 17 | New Orleans, LA | $50,250 | $24.16 |
| 18 | Evanston, IL | $48,935 | $23.53 |
| 19 | Chapel Hill, NC | $48,287 | $23.21 |
| 20 | Des Moines, IA | $47,751 | $22.96 |
Music Therapist salary details
A music therapist's salary ranges from $38,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $84,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a music therapist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| Average | $57,096 | $4,758 | $27 |
| 25th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
Highest paying music therapist jobs
The highest paying types of music therapists are music therapist, public school system, community music therapist, and recreation therapist.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recreation Therapist | $55,992 | $4,666 | $26.92 | 54,263 |
| Music Therapy Internship | $36,844 | $3,070 | $17.71 | 111,846 |
| Therapist | $55,943 | $4,662 | $26.90 | 159,770 |
Top companies hiring music therapists now:
Which companies pay music therapists the most?
Music therapist salaries at Childhelp and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average music therapist salary at companies like LCMC Health and Children's Minnesota are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Childhelp | $91,221 | $43.86 |
| 2 | Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare | $81,884 | $39.37 |
| 3 | LCMC Health | $81,556 | $39.21 |
| 4 | Children's Minnesota | $79,993 | $38.46 |
| 5 | Baptist Health Home Care | $73,312 | $35.25 |
| 6 | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego | $71,323 | $34.29 |
| 7 | UofL Hospital | $71,003 | $34.14 |
| 8 | Children's Hospital Colorado | $70,252 | $33.77 |
| 9 | CHKD Thrift Store | $69,899 | $33.61 |
| 10 | ProMedica Toledo Hospital | $69,103 | $33.22 |
| 11 | The Osborn | $65,399 | $31.44 |
| 12 | TidalHealth | $65,009 | $31.25 |
| 13 | Sharp HealthCare | $64,624 | $31.07 |
| 14 | Cape Cod Healthcare | $62,230 | $29.92 |
| 15 | Catholic Health East | $61,898 | $29.76 |
| 16 | Houston Methodist | $61,300 | $29.47 |
| 17 | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | $60,683 | $29.17 |
| 18 | Point Loma Nazarene University | $60,385 | $29.03 |
| 19 | Acadia Healthcare | $60,137 | $28.91 |
| 20 | Elder Care Alliance of San Rafael | $59,875 | $28.79 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Music Therapist salary trends
The average music therapist salary has risen by $7,958 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average music therapist earned $49,138 annually, but today, they earn $57,096 a year. That works out to a 3% change in pay for music therapists over the last decade.
Compare music therapist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average music therapist salary over time
Compare music therapist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
Music Therapist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $57,100 | $27.45 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | $57,700 | $27.74 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | $57,300 | $27.54 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | $57,100 | $27.43 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $55,500 | $26.70 | +1.1% |
Recently added music therapist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benchmark Human Services | Music Therapist | Shelton, CT | 12/16/2024 | $60,000 |
| Masonicare | Hospice Music Therapist | New Haven, CT | 12/16/2024 | $73,045 |
| Seattle Children's Hospital | Music Therapist-Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center | Bothell, WA | 12/15/2024 | $65,281 |
| Children's Hospital of Orange County | Music Therapist, Mental Health Inpatient Center (Temporary | Orange, CA | 12/15/2024 | $54,700 |
| Colorado | Music Therapist | Colorado Springs, CO | 12/15/2024 | $58,436 |
| ADEC Inc. | Music Therapist | Elkhart, IN | 12/15/2024 | $50,088 |
| Cnhs | Music Therapist | Washington, DC | 12/15/2024 | $44,782 |
| Continuum of Colorado | Music Therapist | Colorado Springs, CO | 12/15/2024 | $58,436 |
| Sharp | Music Therapist-Hospice Admin-Grossmont-Variable Shifts | Pony, MT | 12/11/2024 | $99,216 |
| Bgcarenav | Music Therapist-PRN | Lexington, KY | 12/11/2024 | $49,691 |
Music Therapist salary FAQs
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