Sacred Music Major

Sacred music is a major that typically falls into the Theology & Religious Vocations category.

There are 19 programs available throughout the country that offer an associate’s degree in sacred music, 133 that offer a bachelor’s degree, and 35 that offer a master’s degree. There are also at least 7 schools in the nation where you can get your doctorate degree in the field.

Who Is Getting a Sacred Music Degree?

Sacred music is one of the least chosen majors in the country, ranked #235 in popularity. About 300 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the field in 2017. Roughly 47.6% of the graduates are women, and 52.4% are men.

Racial Distribution

At the countrywide level, the racial distribution of sacred music majors is as follows:

• Asian: 2.8%
• Black or African American: 2.8%
• Hispanic or Latino: 6.3%
• White: 79.7%
• Non-Resident Alien: 1.4%
• Other Races: 7%

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in sacred music. About 1.4% of those graduating in 2017 were international students. The most popular countries sending sacred music majors to the U.S. are South Korea, Brazil and Canada.

What Will You Learn as a Sacred Music Major?

An O*NET survey asked people with careers related to sacred music to rate how important certain subject areas were to their job. The following are some of the results of that survey. Importance was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Sacred Music Majors

Sacred music majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

Skills for Sacred Music Majors

When studying sacred music, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

Abilities for Sacred Music Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a sacred music student include the following:

What Can You Do With a Sacred Music Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with sacred music:

Careers Related to Sacred Music

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Philosophy and Religion Professors	12.3%	$71,890
Music Directors	5.7%	$49,630

Sacred Music Major Salary

Sacred music majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $60,000 to $82,000. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, the typical high school graduate makes between $29,000 and $57,000 a year. The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $44,000 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,000 and $120,000.

The area of the country you choose to work in will also affect your career and salary prospects. Getting a graduate degree may open up more options with higher salary potential.

Amount of Education Required for Sacred Music Major Jobs

Some careers associated with sacred music require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for sacred music careers below.

Education Levels for Careers Associated With Sacred Music

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Less Than a High School Diploma	0%
High School Diploma or Equivalent	0.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate	0%
Some College Courses	0.1%
Associate's Degree or Equivalent	3.2%
Bachelor's Degree	14.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	0.1%
Master's Degree	17.2%
Post-Master's Certificate	0.3%
First Professional Degree	0%
Doctoral Degree	55.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	6.4%

Online Sacred Music Programs

There are 133 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in sacred music, with 6 of them offering at least some courses online.

Online learners must listen or watch video lectures, participate in group chats or forums, submit papers and assignments electronically, take tests, and meet deadlines.

Getting your degree online is not easy and includes watching and listening to hours of lectures, participating in group charts, submitting papers by the appropriate deadline and taking tests. Some online programs will also feature internships or in-person clinical hours.

Is a Sacred Music Major Worth It?

The median salary for a sacred music grad is $60,000 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 54% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $417,800 after 20 years!

Related Majors

• Biblical Studies
• Missionary Studies
• Religious Education
• Sacred Music
• Theological & Ministerial Studies
• Pastoral Specialized Ministries
• Other Theology & Religion

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
O*NET Online
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