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Music Performance

Types of Degrees Music Performance Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Music Performance can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	88
Associate’s Degree	196
Bachelor’s Degree	3,937
Master’s Degree	2,481
Doctor’s Degree	491

What Music Performance Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Music Performance emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Music Performance program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Music Performance graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.8 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.6 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.4 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Music Performance 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	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Pixar RenderMan Studio	Video creation and editing software	—
Autodesk Maya	Computer aided design CAD software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Music Performance graduates include:

• Vocal Teacher
• Organ Teacher
• Stagecraft Teacher
• Artist Instructor
• Voice Teacher
• Adjunct Art Instructor
• Makeup Artistry Instructor
• Adjunct Graphic Design Instructor
• Music Professor
• Dance Instructor
• Music Theory Teacher
• Guitar Teacher
• Fine Arts Teacher
• College Professor
• Lighting Design Lecturer

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	46.3%
Doctoral degree	29.3%
Bachelor’s degree	15.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.3%
Post-master’s certificate	1.6%
Less than a high school diploma	1.4%
Some college courses	1.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Music Performance?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 47.5% women and 52.5% men among Music Performance graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,417	47.5%
Men	3,776	52.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,643	50.6%
Asian	521	7.2%
Hispanic or Latino	818	11.4%
Black or African American	352	4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	10	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	333	4.6%
Race Unknown	179	2.5%
International Students	1,332	18.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Music Performance Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Music Performance 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 Performance Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Music Performance. 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	3	3
Bachelor’s	4	7
Master’s	4	4

^{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 Performance Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Music Performance 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
Keyboard Instruments	50.0907
Music History, Literature, and Theory	50.0902
Music Pedagogy	50.0912
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.