Music graduates earn $42,892 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $26,048 and $58,755. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.
This page covers Music as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Visual & Performing Arts and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Music is a focused area of study within Visual & Performing Arts. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $42,892 four years out, a modest return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 1,387 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 26,167 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$26,047
Median Earnings · 4yr
$42,892
Colleges Offering
1,387
Graduates / Year
26,167
Avg Net Price / yr
$27,839
How Much Do Music Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Music, a typical graduate earns $42,892, significantly below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $26,048 and $58,755, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $26,047 at one year out to $42,892 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
$42,892
4-Year National Median
Significantly below average. Graduate credentials or high-demand roles can raise this considerably.
$43,386
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Music graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.
$26,04825th pct.
$42,892Median
$58,75575th pct.
Is the Cost Worth It?
At median 4-year earnings of $42,892 and an estimated $111,356 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 8.6 years. Compare specific programs before committing to a high-cost option.
Based on outcomes from 1,080 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 26,167 students who complete Music programs each year, the majority (60%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
60%24%
Bachelor's60%
Master's24%
Associate's8%
What Can You Do With a Music Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Music graduates show up in 5 different occupations, and Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pays the most at $78,620/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
Active ListeningSpeakingJudgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingReading Comprehension
Day-to-day responsibilities
Conduct, direct, plan, and lead instrumental or vocal performances by musical artists or groups, such as orchestras, bands, choirs, and glee clubs; or create original works of music.
Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.
Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations.
Active ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingOperation and Control
Day-to-day responsibilities
Assemble and operate equipment to record, synchronize, mix, edit, or reproduce sound, including music, voices, or sound effects, for theater, video, film, television, podcasts, sporting events, and other productions.
Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.
Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.
Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording.
Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings.
Sing a cappella or with musical accompaniment.
Interpret or modify music, applying knowledge of harmony, melody, rhythm, and voice production to individualize presentations and maintain audience interest.
Top Colleges for Music
Not sure where to study Music? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Music graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Visual & Performing Arts Programs
Music is not the only path through Visual & Performing Arts: 9 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Music program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
Music carries financial trade-offs prospective students should weigh carefully. The 3 strengths and 4 concerns below are drawn from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts.
PROS
Strong salary growthMedian earnings climb from $26,047 at graduation to $42,892 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Strong hiring volumeRelated occupations generate more than 94,100 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
Wide availabilityOffered at 1,387 colleges nationwide, with options at every price point and institution type.
CONS
Below-average earningsFour-year median of $42,892 falls below the national median for bachelor's degree holders.
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Declining roles in some areas2 related careers show negative 10-year employment projections. Research specific roles before committing.
Long earnings breakevenAt median salary and average net price, recovering education costs versus a baseline wage takes roughly 8.6 years.
Music Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Music graduates earn?
$42,892 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $26,048 and $58,755, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Music degree?
$26,047 in the first year out. That grows to $42,892 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Music degree?
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is one path, and it pays a median of $78,620 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Music program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Music bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Music?
1,387 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Music degree worth it?
$42,892 median earnings four years out against $27,839 a year in average net price. That is a slow payback, so cost matters more than usual here: a cheaper school changes the answer. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Music and Visual & Performing Arts?
Music is the narrower of the two: Visual & Performing Arts covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Music-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Music graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Music graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
What is the job outlook for Music graduates?
Outlook is slow overall: related occupations average +0.1% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is among the strongest-growth roles at +2.2%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
Related Visual & Performing Arts Programs
Other programs in Visual & Performing Arts. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
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