Sacred Music

Types of Degrees Sacred Music Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many sacred music graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	304
Master’s Degree	114
Associate’s Degree	29
Doctor’s Degree	14
Graduate Certificate	8
Undergraduate Certificate	7
Basic Certificate	1

What Sacred Music Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to sacred music and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Sacred Music Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in sacred music should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

Skills for Sacred Music Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to sacred music:

• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Sacred Music Majors

A major in sacred music will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Sacred Music Major?

People with a sacred music degree often go into the following careers:

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

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Sacred Music?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 293 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sacred music in 2019, making it rank #236 in popularity. According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 48% of the graduates are women, and 52% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	5
Black or African American	8
Hispanic or Latino	18
White	234
International Students	9
Other Races/Ethnicities	30

Geographic Diversity

Sacred Music appeals to people across the globe. About 3.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• South Korea
• Brazil
• Canada
• Nigeria
• India

How Much Do Sacred Music Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

According to 2017-2018 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sacred music have a median salary of $26,150 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $25,575 (25th percentile) and $26,725 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in sacred music, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $59,790 to $82,420 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to sacred music. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Sacred Music

Some degrees associated with sacred music may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.5%
Some College Courses	0.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	14.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.1%
Master’s Degree	17.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.3%
Doctoral Degree	55.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	6.4%

Online Sacred Music Programs

In 2018-2019, 162 schools offered a sacred music program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	7	1
Certificate (1-2 years)	7	3
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	20	3
Bachelor’s Degree	10	2
Post-Baccalaureate	7	1
Master’s Degree	37	3
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	9	2
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Sacred Music Worth It?

The median salary for a sacred music grad is $59,790 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 50% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $397,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Sacred Music

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to sacred music.

Major	Number of Grads
Theological & Ministerial Studies	19,838
Biblical Studies	4,551
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries	3,055
Religious Education	1,497
Missionary Studies	1,379
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other)	1,375

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Jackerhack under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.