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sound arts

Types of Degrees sound arts Majors Are Earning

People majoring in sound arts can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	14
Bachelor’s Degree	29
Master’s Degree	10

What sound arts Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in sound arts 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

The skill set developed in a sound arts 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

Innate abilities most relevant to sound arts 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, sound arts 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 sound arts professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Pixar RenderMan Studio	Video creation and editing software	—
Propellerhead Software Reason	Music or sound editing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for sound arts graduates include:

• Dancing Teacher
• Piano Professor
• Fine Arts Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Art Professor
• Music Lecturer
• Lighting Design Lecturer
• Photography Teacher
• Elementary Art Instructor
• Visual Arts Instructor
• College Professor
• Theater Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Stagecraft Teacher
• University Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to sound arts 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 sound arts?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 86.8% of sound arts degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7	13.2%
Men	46	86.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	41	77.4%
Asian	2	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino	8	15.1%
Two or More Races	2	3.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do sound arts Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of sound arts 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.}

Is a Degree in sound arts Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, sound arts 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 Theory and Composition	50.0904
Music, General	50.0901
Music, Other	50.0999

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.