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Music Theory & Composition

Types of Degrees Music Theory & Composition Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Music Theory & Composition have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6
Associate’s Degree	133
Bachelor’s Degree	782
Master’s Degree	337
Doctor’s Degree	78

What Music Theory & Composition Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.5 / 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 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Music Theory & Composition 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.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Music Theory & Composition 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 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Music Theory & Composition 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	4.5 / 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
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Music Theory & Composition professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
QuarkXPress	Desktop publishing software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Blackboard software	Computer based training software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Next Limit Maxwell Render	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Music Theory & Composition graduates include:

• Arts Teacher
• Drama Teacher
• Piano Performance Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Music Theory Professor
• Arts and Crafts Instructor
• Voice Professor
• Adjunct College Instructor
• Instructor
• Orchestra Teacher
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Organ Teacher
• Open Rank Professor
• Performing Arts Instructor
• Digital Arts Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	47.4%
Doctoral degree	30.0%
Bachelor’s degree	15.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
Some college courses	0.9%
Less than a high school diploma	0.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Music Theory & Composition?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 68.3% of Music Theory & Composition degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	424	31.7%
Men	912	68.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	640	47.9%
Asian	86	6.4%
Hispanic or Latino	160	12.0%
Black or African American	94	7.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	4	0.3%
Two or More Races	61	4.6%
Race Unknown	56	4.2%
International Students	235	17.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Music Theory & Composition Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Music Theory & Composition graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 Theory & Composition Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Music Theory & Composition. 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	1	2
Bachelor’s	2	6
Master’s	1	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 Theory & Composition Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Music Theory & Composition 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 Performance, General	50.0903
Music Technology	50.0913
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.