Music
Visual & Performing Arts
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $30,624 | $27,183 to $35,326 | 7 | 29% |
| Associate's Degree | $36,153 | $32,691 to $38,154 | 10 | 60% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,751 | $36,241 to $47,603 | 292 | 74% |
| Master's Degree | $46,413 | $39,874 to $53,026 | 108 | 86% |
| Doctoral Degree | $57,492 | $49,893 to $61,196 | 32 | 97% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +1% (2025 to 2035), about 76,700 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $72,040 | -0.2% | 63,500 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $78,620 | +2.2% | 8,000 |
| Music Directors and Composers | $73,710 | +1.2% | 4,200 |
| Sound Engineering Technicians | $73,130 | -3.1% | 1,000 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a music program, of 1,248 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Berklee College of Music
- Los Angeles Film School
- Indiana University-Bloomington
- Manhattan School of Music
- University of North Texas
- The New England Conservatory of Music
- The New School
- Full Sail University
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.