Musicians and Singers

What do they do?

Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording.

Also known as:

Choir Member, Gospel Singer, Musician, Opera Singer, Orchestra Musician, Percussionist, Singer, Singing Telegram Performer, Tenor, Vocalist

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Musicians and Singers is projected to grow 2 percent from 2018 to 2028, more slowly than average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in VA

No Data Available
  • 2.4%

    Change

    Ranks #20 in job growth rate
    150

    Job Openings

    Ranks #23 in net job growth

Best colleges for Musicians and Singers

Search

Colleges with the most graduates that become Musicians and Singers

Search

Looking for colleges that offer a specific major? Use the College Match Tool to find your best-matched schools and discover your estimated Net Price!

Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Doctorate or Professional Degree (4.6%)
  • Master's degree (19.5%)
  • Bachelor's degree (30.3%)
  • Associate's degree (5.7%)
  • Some college, no degree (22.2%)
  • High school diploma equivalent (13.1%)
  • Less than high school diploma (4.6%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Musicians and Singers

Select Type of Degree:

People in this career often have these skills:

  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Hearing Sensitivity - The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Auditory Attention - The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Perform music for the public.
  • Study details of musical compositions.
  • Practice athletic or artistic skills.
  • Conduct research to inform art, designs, or other work.
  • Train others on performance techniques.
  • Audition for roles.
  • Perform for recordings.
  • Promote products, activities, or organizations.
  • Create musical compositions, arrangements or scores.
  • Coordinate musical rehearsals or performances.
  • Coordinate logistics for productions or events.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 26.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

careeronestop logo Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development