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Keyboard Instruments

Types of Degrees Keyboard Instruments Majors Are Earning

Those studying Keyboard Instruments can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	11
Bachelor’s Degree	162
Master’s Degree	325
Doctor’s Degree	35

What Keyboard Instruments Majors Need to Know

Programs in Keyboard Instruments develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Keyboard Instruments graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Keyboard Instruments emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.3 / 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 built by a Keyboard Instruments program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Keyboard Instruments 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 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Keyboard Instruments graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.8 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.7 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Keyboard Instruments professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Red Giant Trapcode Particular	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Cascading style sheets CSS	Web platform development software	—
Adobe Audition	Music or sound editing software	—
The Pixel Farm PFTrack	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Keyboard Instruments graduates include:

• Ballet Teacher
• Adjunct Art Instructor
• Open Rank Professor
• Studio Instructor
• Music Theory Professor
• Dance Professor
• Visual Arts Instructor
• Photography Teacher
• Performing Arts Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Art Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Singing Teacher
• Choral Teacher
• Adjunct Music Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	49.3%
Doctoral degree	30.8%
Bachelor’s degree	14.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.4%
Less than a high school diploma	0.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.5%
Some college courses	0.3%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Keyboard Instruments?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 57.5% women and 42.5% men among Keyboard Instruments graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	307	57.5%
Men	227	42.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	122	22.8%
Asian	49	9.2%
Hispanic or Latino	24	4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.4%
Two or More Races	11	2.1%
Race Unknown	13	2.4%
International Students	313	58.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Keyboard Instruments Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Keyboard Instruments 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.}

Is a Degree in Keyboard Instruments Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Keyboard Instruments 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
Music	50.09
Brass Instruments	50.0914
Conducting	50.0906
Jazz/Jazz Studies	50.0910
Music History, Literature, and Theory	50.0902
Music Pedagogy	50.0912
Music Performance, General	50.0903
Music Technology	50.0913
Music Theory and Composition	50.0904
Music, General	50.0901
Music, Other	50.0999
Musicology and Ethnomusicology	50.0905

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.