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Voice Performance

Types of Degrees Voice Performance Majors Are Earning

Those studying Voice Performance can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	8
Bachelor’s Degree	286
Master’s Degree	364
Doctor’s Degree	10

What Voice Performance Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Voice 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 emphasized by a Voice 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

Abilities most relevant to Voice 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, Voice 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 Voice Performance professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
The Foundry Nuke	Video creation and editing software	—
Cascading style sheets CSS	Web platform development software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Voice Performance graduates include:

• Media Arts Professor
• Elementary Art Instructor
• Theater Teacher
• Dance Instructor
• Woodshop Instructor
• Adjunct College Instructor
• Music Instructor
• Ceramics Teacher
• Instructor
• Visual Arts Instructor
• Art Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Lighting Design Lecturer
• Vocal Teacher
• Adjunct Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Voice 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 Voice Performance?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 68.1% of Voice Performance degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	455	68.1%
Men	213	31.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	337	50.4%
Asian	28	4.2%
Hispanic or Latino	68	10.2%
Black or African American	44	6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	24	3.6%
Race Unknown	13	1.9%
International Students	153	22.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Voice Performance Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Voice Performance graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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 Voice Performance Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Voice 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
Bachelor’s	1	1

^{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 Voice Performance Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Voice 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 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.