What is a Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner?
Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner Definition Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.
Life As a Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner: What Do They Do?
- Remove irregularities from tuning pins, strings, and hammers of pianos, using wood blocks or filing tools.
- Test tubes and pickups in electronic amplifier units, and solder parts and connections as necessary.
- Repair or replace musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts, and keys, using hand and power tools.
- Adjust felt hammers on pianos to increase tonal mellowness or brilliance, using sanding paddles, lacquer, or needles.
- Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.
- Refinish instruments to protect and decorate them, using hand tools, buffing tools, and varnish.
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Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner Needed Skills
When polled, Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Other Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner Job Titles
- Bow Rehairer
- Piano Technician
- Pipe Organ Installer
- Instrument Repair Technician
- Chip Tuner
Is There Job Demand for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners?
In the United States, there were 8,300 jobs for Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 1.2% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 100 new jobs for Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner by 2026. The BLS estimates 700 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner are Tennessee, Iowa, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Kansas, Massachusetts, or Connecticut. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners make between $22,700 and $59,020 a year.

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners who work in New Mexico, Vermont, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $31,480 |
Arizona | $33,500 |
California | $41,720 |
Colorado | $34,990 |
Connecticut | $37,900 |
Florida | $30,710 |
Georgia | $49,330 |
Illinois | $49,720 |
Indiana | $31,930 |
Iowa | $42,540 |
Kansas | $32,320 |
Kentucky | $36,630 |
Louisiana | $33,890 |
Maryland | $41,030 |
Massachusetts | $37,850 |
Michigan | $32,970 |
Minnesota | $36,670 |
Mississippi | $34,750 |
Missouri | $35,990 |
New Jersey | $43,000 |
New Mexico | $87,200 |
New York | $39,200 |
North Carolina | $35,720 |
Ohio | $33,250 |
Oklahoma | $39,220 |
Oregon | $32,710 |
Pennsylvania | $40,620 |
South Carolina | $38,840 |
Tennessee | $38,550 |
Texas | $39,300 |
Utah | $36,990 |
Vermont | $52,020 |
Virginia | $36,480 |
Washington | $43,000 |
West Virginia | $35,470 |
Wisconsin | $36,590 |
What Tools & Technology do Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners may use on a daily basis:
How do I Become a Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner?
Are there Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners education requirements?

What work experience do I need to become a Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner?

Where do Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners Work?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

References:
Image Credit: Phasmatisnox via CC BY 3.0
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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