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Music

Types of Degrees Music Majors Are Earning

Those studying Music have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	223
Associate’s Degree	1,945
Bachelor’s Degree	15,187
Master’s Degree	7,020
Doctor’s Degree	1,475

What Music Majors Need to Know

Studies in Music emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Music graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Music emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Music program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Music careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Music graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.8 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Music professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Adobe Audition	Music or sound editing software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Linux	Operating system software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Music graduates include:

• Choral Teacher
• Piano Teacher
• Ceramics Teacher
• Singing Teacher
• Art Educator
• Voice Teacher
• Vocal Teacher
• Organ Teacher
• Art Instructor
• Music Theory Teacher
• Music Educator
• Band Teacher
• Choir Teacher
• Theater Teacher
• Guitar Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Music graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	45.9%
Doctoral degree	28.8%
Bachelor’s degree	17.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.1%
Post-master’s certificate	1.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Less than a high school diploma	0.9%
Some college courses	0.8%
Postsecondary certificate	0.3%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%
First professional degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Music?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 45.1% women and 54.9% men among Music graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	11,671	45.1%
Men	14,182	54.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Music graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	13,517	52.3%
Asian	1,625	6.3%
Hispanic or Latino	3,460	13.4%
Black or African American	1,749	6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	72	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	28	0.1%
Two or More Races	1,249	4.8%
Race Unknown	728	2.8%
International Students	3,425	13.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Music Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Music graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$29,248
4 years	$35,586
5 years	$40,828

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $40,828 — roughly 40% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Music Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Music. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	12	23
Bachelor’s	21	39
Master’s	29	33
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Music Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Music graduates earn a median of $35,586 four years after completion — about 6% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Visual and Performing Arts	50
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management	50.10
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art	50.11
Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry	50.02
Dance	50.03
Design and Applied Arts	50.04
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	50.05
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	50.06
Fine and Studio Arts	50.07
Visual and Performing Arts, General	50.01
Visual and Performing Arts, Other	50.99
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS	50.00

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.