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Musician salary
Average musician salary
$57,257
How much does a musician make?
The average musician salary in the United States is $57,257. Musician salaries typically range between $25,000 and $127,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for musicians is $27.53 per hour.
Musician salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Musicians earn the highest average salary in New York.
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Where can a Musician earn more?
Musician salary estimates from across the web
Average musician salary by state
Highest paying states for musicians
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $87,177 | $41.91 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $77,569 | $37.29 |
| 3 | California | $79,675 | $38.31 |
| 4 | Alaska | $83,629 | $40.21 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $84,559 | $40.65 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $74,530 | $35.83 |
| 7 | Vermont | $72,335 | $34.78 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $60,532 | $29.10 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $65,713 | $31.59 |
| 10 | Michigan | $65,128 | $31.31 |
| 11 | Illinois | $68,311 | $32.84 |
| 12 | Ohio | $61,105 | $29.38 |
| 13 | Iowa | $62,575 | $30.08 |
| 14 | Maine | $61,454 | $29.55 |
| 15 | Arizona | $58,375 | $28.06 |
| 16 | Virginia | $60,254 | $28.97 |
| 17 | Kansas | $58,984 | $28.36 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $60,823 | $29.24 |
| 19 | Maryland | $58,941 | $28.34 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $57,959 | $27.86 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $55,515 | $26.69 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $54,226 | $26.07 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $53,396 | $25.67 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $51,614 | $24.81 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $54,912 | $26.40 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $52,712 | $25.34 |
| 27 | Indiana | $52,566 | $25.27 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $53,249 | $25.60 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $52,466 | $25.22 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $52,294 | $25.14 |
| 31 | Texas | $52,468 | $25.23 |
| 32 | Georgia | $51,646 | $24.83 |
| 33 | Delaware | $53,729 | $25.83 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $50,409 | $24.24 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $51,655 | $24.83 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $55,195 | $26.54 |
| 37 | Utah | $47,971 | $23.06 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $50,156 | $24.11 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $48,810 | $23.47 |
| 40 | Oregon | $49,100 | $23.61 |
| 41 | Nevada | $48,277 | $23.21 |
| 42 | Florida | $49,008 | $23.56 |
| 43 | Alabama | $47,787 | $22.97 |
| 44 | Washington | $47,382 | $22.78 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $46,869 | $22.53 |
| 46 | Montana | $47,241 | $22.71 |
| 47 | Idaho | $45,681 | $21.96 |
| 48 | Missouri | $39,845 | $19.16 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $43,514 | $20.92 |
| 50 | Colorado | $37,817 | $18.18 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $38,834 | $18.67 |
Highest paying cities for musicians
The highest-paying cities for musicians are New York, NY, Anchorage, AK, and Rohnert Park, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $88,795 | $42.69 |
| 2 | Anchorage, AK | $85,730 | $41.22 |
| 3 | Rohnert Park, CA | $83,504 | $40.15 |
| 4 | Cleveland, OH | $64,899 | $31.20 |
| 5 | Ann Arbor, MI | $64,258 | $30.89 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $62,875 | $30.23 |
| 7 | Springfield, MA | $61,302 | $29.47 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $59,069 | $28.40 |
| 9 | Milwaukee, WI | $55,607 | $26.73 |
| 10 | Providence, RI | $54,543 | $26.22 |
| 11 | San Antonio, TX | $53,822 | $25.88 |
| 12 | Jacksonville, NC | $53,753 | $25.84 |
| 13 | Brooklyn Center, MN | $53,269 | $25.61 |
| 14 | Washington, DC | $51,524 | $24.77 |
| 15 | Hattiesburg, MS | $50,986 | $24.51 |
| 16 | Boca Raton, FL | $48,834 | $23.48 |
| 17 | Las Vegas, NV | $48,387 | $23.26 |
| 18 | Montgomery, AL | $47,518 | $22.85 |
| 19 | Oklahoma City, OK | $46,815 | $22.51 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $40,460 | $19.45 |
Musician salary details
A musician's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $127,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a musician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $127,000 | $10,583 | $61 |
| 75th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| Average | $57,257 | $4,771 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying musician jobs
The highest paying types of musicians are guitarist, concert pianist, and professional musician.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accompanist | $52,645 | $4,387 | $25.31 | 197 |
| Pianist | $53,479 | $4,457 | $25.71 | 99 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for Musicians, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Gloria Lum
Cello Instructor, Occidental College
Top companies hiring musicians now:
Which companies pay musicians the most?
Musician salaries at Sanford Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average musician salary at companies like PSEA and Diva Corporation are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanford Health | $149,208 | $71.73 |
| 2 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $136,053 | $65.41 |
| 3 | PSEA | $85,398 | $41.06 |
| 4 | Diva Corporation | $74,975 | $36.05 |
| 5 | Houston Symphony | $62,901 | $30.24 |
| 6 | Virginia Commonwealth University | $62,800 | $30.19 |
| 7 | University of Michigan | $62,335 | $29.97 |
| 8 | Manhattan School of Music | $59,550 | $28.63 |
| 9 | LPR Construction | $58,716 | $28.23 |
| 10 | Catholic Diocese of Arlington | $52,457 | $25.22 |
| 11 | Metropolitan State University of Denver | $50,952 | $24.50 |
| 12 | Archdiocese Of San Antonio | $48,418 | $23.28 |
| 13 | Salvation Army North | $44,556 | $21.42 |
| 14 | Xanterra | $38,814 | $18.66 |
| 15 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | $37,102 | $17.84 |
| 16 | The Salvation Army | $34,888 | $16.77 |
| 17 | Albany, NY | $24,826 | $11.94 |
| 18 | Sul Ross State University | $24,177 | $11.62 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Musician salary by industry
The average musician salary varies across industries:
- The average musician salary in the media industry is $53,745, the highest of any industry.
- The average musician salary in the finance industry is $53,494.
- Musicians in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $39,085, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for musicians
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media | $53,745 | $25.84 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $53,494 | $25.72 |
| 3 | Education | $50,513 | $24.29 |
| 4 | Non Profits | $39,085 | $18.79 |
High Paying Musician Jobs
Musician salary trends
The average musician salary has risen by $10,708 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average musician earned $46,549 annually, but today, they earn $57,257 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for musicians over the last decade.
Compare musician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average musician salary over time
Compare musician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Musician salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $57,300 | $27.53 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $55,000 | $26.46 | +5.1% |
| 2023 | $52,200 | $25.11 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $51,100 | $24.56 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $49,700 | $23.90 | +2.1% |
Recently added musician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | Musician | Minneapolis, MN | 12/12/2024 | $54,262 |
| Playbill, Inc. | Musician Paid The Palace Theatre Seeks Musicians for 'Piano MEN' Palace Theatre Manchester, NH US 12 | Manchester, NH | 12/11/2024 | $26,088 |
| Playbill, Inc. | Musician Paid Keys 2 Shrek The Musical Westport, CT US/2024 | Westport, CT | 12/11/2024 | $41,740 |
| Santa Clara Univer | Liturgical Musician | Ione, CA | 12/10/2024 | $108,148 |
| Santa Clara Univer | Liturgical Musician | Nevada | 12/10/2024 | $108,148 |
| Entertainers Worldwide Ltd. | Musicians & Singers Needed for Cruise Ship Contracts | Ione, OR | 12/06/2024 | $38,902 |
| SCU Credit Union | Liturgical Musician | Santa Clara, CA | 11/25/2024 | $108,148 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Dance Musician (Non-Benefited) | Richmond, VA | 11/23/2024 | $45,288 |
| State of Virginia | Dance Musician (Non-Benefited) | Richmond, VA | 11/22/2024 | $43,827 |
| Santa Clara Univer | Liturgical Musician | Ione, CA | 10/24/2024 | $108,148 |
Musician salary FAQs
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