Music is one of those degrees which are specifically designed for people who are interested in making a career in the field of music production, music performance, technology, and other aspects related to music. If you are interested in music, and arts, but you are unable to decide if it will be good for your career to take music as a major or not then you should know that there are a lot of career choices in the music field that you can take, and most of them are not only high-paying, but also very rewarding in terms of career growth, and promotion as well. Taking music as a major is not just for those who are musicians, or want to be musicians, it is also for those who want an easy major and a high-paying and rewarding career. As music is an easy major, you can pass it with a high percentage and can become the top earner in your specific field. Apart from becoming, there are other beneficial music careers that you can take. These include production work, DJing, teaching, acting, and also designing and engineering. The article below contains a list of career choices that you can take after your degree in music. Read it carefully to know what options you have, and how much you can earn through these.

Top 15 Career Choices After a Music Degree:

Here are the top 15 career choices related to Music degrees that you can select after completing your education in Music. Each of these career choices offers higher annual salaries, bonuses, commissions, and other job benefits including job security, and job satisfaction.

• Musician.
• Music Producer.
• Disc Jockey – DJ
• Private Music Teacher
• Secondary School Teacher
• Actor
• Sound Designer
• Sound Engineer
• Composer
• Production Assistant
• Public Relations Manager
• Social Media Coordinator
• Event Coordinator
• Theatre Manager
• Music Therapist

Below is the detail about each of these career choices in music.

1. Musician:

After completing your degree in music, you can become a musician. It is a job that is not only very rewarding in terms of money, but also in terms of fame as well. Musicians do music performances, live and recorded musicals, they compose new tunes and music that they can sell. Most people confuse singing with music, singing is a part of the music industry, but music is different, singing is accompanied by music. Musicians learn to play the music and tunes on different instruments of their choice.

According to the data from bls.gov, musicians and live performers have a median income of $51,670 per year. But the top performers can make more than $250,000 per year in salary. Some musicians charge per gig, and some charge according to the number of ticket sales, that is why these statistics are not 100% accurate in predicting the actual income.  Also, as of 2019, there are 157,300 musicians’ job positions in the United States, and the job outlook shows a growth rate of 11%.

2. Music Producer:

You can also become a music producer after completing your degree in music. Music production requires the knowledge of the technology being used in the modern music industry. You can start as a junior music producer after your bachelor’s and can later be promoted to the position of senior music producer after obtaining some experience. Music producers are responsible for managing the music and recording studios, arranging singers, and music players, and producing musical records.

You may also need additional education or training to reach this position. As of 2019, Music Producers had a median income of $52,250 per year meanwhile top earners can make up to $100,000, and there are 48,100 music producer job positions across the US. The job outlook data suggests a 6% growth rate in this job for the next decade.

3. Disc Jockey – DJ:

After your degree with a music major, you can also become a Disc Jockey or DJ. DJs are live performers and music creators who work in clubs, and can also be hired for parties to play music. They also do music recording-related work and provide their services to the filmmakers, and musical record producers to help them create new remixes and tunes. DJs also work at radio stations, nightclubs, bars, and other places where live musical performances are required. You can become a DJ soon after completing your degree. You can join a company or organization or work on a gig basis as a freelance DJ. It is a highly rewarding job as it offers both fame and money.

Experienced and more famous DJs can earn more money as compared to the new ones. According to the data from bls.gov, DJs have a median income of $50,000, meanwhile, the top earners can make up to $200,000 a year. The job outlook data predicts 21% growth from 2019 to 2029. Also, there are more than 138,700 DJ-related job positions in the United States.

4. Private Music Teacher:

Private Music Teachers provide private music lessons to the students. This is also one of the high-paying career choices. Musicians, guitarists, piano players, trampoline players, and other musical instruments players can become private music teachers after completing their degree in music. This job not only requires the experience of playing that musical instrument but also the knowledge of teaching, and communication. There are a lot of job positions available for private music teachers at churches, private community services. Also, you can work as a freelance private music teacher as well.

The median income of a private music teacher is about $76,389, meanwhile, top earners can make up to $94,500. The job outlook data for private music teachers shows a %12 growth rate that is faster than many other job options. Currently, there are 18,764 private music teacher jobs in the US job market.

5. School Teacher – Music:

If you want to go into the teaching profession after taking music as a major, you can do that as well. You can become a secondary school teacher. This is a job that provides a higher sense of job security, and job satisfaction, as you will not only be pursuing your career but will also be doing the job that you like the most. To become a music teacher at primary and kindergarten schools, you will need a bachelor’s degree. But to become a teacher in a musical school, or a secondary school, you will need at least a Master’s degree in music. You may also need some teaching experience as well.

If you join a music school after your Ph.D. there are chances for you to reach the top-level positions such as school coordinator, or head of the department, or even Headmaster or Principal. According to the data from bls.gov, the music teachers in schools have a median income of $60,660, and top earners in this field can also make up to $90,000. There are 122,500 music teachers in the US as of 2019 and the job outlook suggests a 7% growth rate.

6. Actor:

As your degree in musicology also requires the study of other fine arts and performing arts subjects. You can also take acting as your career choice after your degree in music. This might look like a very big career change but essentially both of these require a similar set of skills related to living and recorded performance. Actors read scripts instead of lyrics and they also use the voice changes. It is also a high-paying career that can help you become famous as well. You can become a live performer and perform on the stage of a theater or become a tv commercial, drama, or movie actor. Each of these career choices can be taken per your interests. For example, if you want to join a company, you can do that and if you want to work as a freelancer and take gigs you can do that as well.

Experienced and well-versed and talented actors can make millions during their careers. According to the Bureau of Statistics, actors have a median income of $52416 per year, and the top earners can make a lot more. There were 51,600 acting-related job positions in the US as of 2019, also the job outlook data shows 32% growth which is much faster than most other occupations.

7. Sound Designer:

If you take the BSc or MSc with a music major, you can become a sound designer. Sound designers are also like graphics designers, instead, they create sound effects. This is a job that requires the knowledge of musical equipment, sound production, and sound effects creation. It is a science-related field in music and it has a very important role to play. Because sound designers are the ones that help music recording agencies to record different types of sound with proper sound effects. Apart from the music industry, sound designers are also required by game development companies as they need multiple sound effects for their games.

You can become a sound designer after completing your degree, and with some experience, you can get promoted to the top level. According to bls.gov, sound designers have a median income of $54,740 per year. This job has a 9% growth rate from 2019, to 2029.

8. Sound Engineer:

Another option after a BSc and MSc with music and sound as a major that you have is sound engineering. You can become a sound engineer after earning your degree from college. Sound engineers are required for multiple tasks in different industries. For example, in the film industry, sound engineers work on noise reduction, and voice clearing technologies. Also, they work on assembling and disassembling the sound-related equipment, technical work related to the recording, music production, sound effect creation, and many other major tasks.

According to the data from BLS, sound engineers have a median income of $54,740, and the top earners can make up to $79,130 per year. The job outlook data shows 9% growth from 2019 to 2029. 17,000 sound engineers are working in multiple industries in the US.

9. Music Composer:

You can also become a music composer after completing your degree with a music major. Composing is one of the jobs that require knowledge of the lyrics, rhymes, and poetry. Composers write jingles, songs, musicals in different music genres. They not only write them, but also create videos and recorded CDs, and sell their composition. These music compositions are used in films, songs, video games, advertisements, and more. Music composers also can work on both freelance bases and through a company.

Music compositions offer a great chance to excel in your career and achieve both fame and money in your career after taking music as a major. According to the data from bls.gov, music composers have a median income of $52,250 per year, while top earners can make more than $100,000. The job outlook data shows 6% growth from 2019 to 2029. 148,100 Music composers are working in the US.

10. Production Assistants:

After completing your degree with a music major, you can also become a production assistant as during your study, you also learn these related subjects as well. So, all the basic knowledge that you need for this job, you can learn during your study. Production assistants and managers are responsible for providing the necessary help in the process of production of music videos, films, tv serials, and commercials. They organize the crew, and help producers select locations and execute their production plans. Production assistants and managers are the ones that later become producers by themselves. So, there are a lot of career growth options as well.

You can start this job after your bachelor’s but you may need some practice and experience to reach the level of production manager. Production assistants have a median salary of $61,900, and the top earners can make up to $90,000. As of 2019, there are 63,300 job positions related to production assistants and managers in the United States. The job outlook data shows a growth of 29% from 2019 to 2019.

11. Public Relations Manager:

You can also become a public relations manager for a music production company or an artist, singer, or musician. Your course of study also includes additional subjects such as communication and PR management. These are the skills that you need for this job, as you will be managing public relations. This is one of the highest-paying jobs that you can get after taking music as a major. PR management requires talking to the print and social media, and replying to the fans, and helping to build a brand image for an artist or a musical company.

You can become a PR manager after completing your degree, but to reach the top level in this field, you will need some experience and more knowledge. The median pay of PR managers is about $118,430, while top earners can make even more. As of 2019, 89,000 PR managers are working in different industries. The data for the job outlook shows a 13% growth rate in the next ten years.

12. Social Media Marketing Manager:

The job of a social media manager is also similar to that of a PR manager, but unlike PR managers, they don’t just talk to the fans and media. Instead, they create social media profiles of the companies and artists and help them grow these profiles at a fast rate. This is a technical job that requires the knowledge of multiple social media tools that are used for promotions and free branding. This is comparatively a new career choice but has a huge potential as the future of everything is going digital and now every artist and company is trying to build their online presence.

You can help these companies become brands that are recognizable by the public on social media platforms. According to the bls.gov data, social media managers have a median income of $141,490, and the top earners can make up to $200,000. There are 316,800 social media/ marketing managers working in the US and job outlook data shows a 10% growth rate for the next decade. 

13. Event Coordinator/Event Manager:

The job of an event coordinator or manager is to help organize an event, especially related to music. Musical event coordinators help the artists and musical companies by providing services related to the event organization, ticket sales, attracting performers, and all the related coordination tasks. You can take the example of a musical concert, event coordinators help in creating the stage, attracting the audience, and performers, and help in the coordination of these events.

You can take this job after your degree as you will have the basic skills needed for this job. You can join other coordinators, learn from them and after having some experience, you can also become a coordinator. According to bls.gov, the median salary of an event coordinator is $51,560 per year. Also, 125,900 people are currently working as event coordinators or event managers. The job outlook data shows 18% growth for the next ten years.

14. Musical Tour Manager:

Music Tour Manager’s job is to organize the tours for artists that are associated with his company. Music tour managers organize everything starting from acquiring the details from the artists, managing musical instruments, managing ticket sales, selecting venues for performance, and making sure that musical tours are a success and complete without any issue. They work with large teams and groups, and they make sure that everyone is doing the work that they were assigned. You can become a musical tour manager after acquiring some experience.

You can start as a junior manager or assistant after your degree and will get promoted to the level of manager after some experience. According to bls.gov data, tour managers have a median income of $41,759 per year, while the top earners can make up to $66,000.

15. Artist Manager:

You can also become a music artist’s manager after earning your degree in the music field. You will be responsible for managing all business-related issues of your client, including his social media, public relations, relations with businesses, advertisers, and music producers. Your job will also include scheduling, organizing, and overseeing tours, music productions, and more.

According to bls.gov, artist managers have a median income of $98,070. As of 2019, the total number of artist managers working in the United States is about 16,240, and the job outlook data shows 7% growth in the next decade.

Benefits and Salaries for Music Related Jobs:

Job Title	Number of Jobs till 2019	Required Degree	Job Outlook	Per year Salary
Musician	157,300	Bachelors/Masters	11%	$51,670
Music Producer	48,100	Bachelors/Masters	6%	$52,250
Disc Jockey -DJ	138,700	Bachelors/Masters	21%	$50,000
Private Music Teacher	18,776	Bachelors/Masters	12%	$76,389
Secondary School Teacher	122,500	Bachelors/Masters	7%	$60,660
Actor	52,600	Bachelors/Masters	32%	$52416
Sound Designer	17,000	Bachelors/Masters	9%	$54,740
Sound Engineer	17,000	Bachelors/Masters	9%	$54,740
Production Assistant	148,100	Bachelors/Masters	6%	$52,250
PR Manager	63,300	Bachelors/Masters	29%	$61,900,
Social Media Coordinator	89,000	Bachelors/Masters	13%	$118,430
Event Coordinator	316,800	Bachelors/Masters	10%	$141,490
Musical Tour Manager	15,450	Bachelors/Masters	6%	$41,759
Artist Manager	16,240	Bachelors/Masters	7%	$98,070

Note:(Bachelors for the job and Masters for further promotion) data source bls.gov

Types of Music Degrees:

Music is one of those major choices that you can take in both science and arts. There are different courses of study that are offered at different levels including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate. If you take music as a major in science, you will be able to learn about sound, and instrumental science related to sound and you can become a sound engineer or sound designer. But if you take music as a major in arts, you will be able to learn it as a subject of fine arts. Below is a complete list of degrees in which you can take music as a major.

1.   Bachelors:

A bachelor’s degree with a music major will provide you the knowledge to enter the field of your choice in the music and sound-related industries. But the type of degree that you choose and the sub-major you select in that degree will determine what type of career you can have in music. These are four-year-long degrees and require the completion of at least 120 credit hours of coursework. These can cost between $100,000 to $200,000. Here is a list of examples to explain this.

• Bachelors in Music or BM: It is a bachelor’s degree with a music major and it is known as BM. It is specifically designed for musicians, music teachers, and DJs, and the people who want to create music and want to pursue a career in music composing, teaching music, and music production. In this degree, all the subjects that you will study will be related to music only, and in this composition, performance, and all other aspects related to the music industry are also included.
• Bachelors in Fine Arts/Arts with musicology: It is a fine art or arts degree that is designed specifically for people who want to pursue a career in musical performance, for example, live performers, opera singers, and other music performances. This degree is for those who want to learn how to perform music. Guitarists, piano players are common examples of professions that you can take after a major in musicology. So, you will study other subjects of the arts as well, but your major will be in musicology.
• Bachelor’s in Science or BSc: This is a degree in the field of sound engineering and sound designing. Both of these are closely linked to the profession of music and can help you to get a job at a music production agency. You can work as a sound engineer, designer, and production assistant.

2.   Masters:

A Master’s degree in music is a two-year-long degree that requires the completion of 30 to 40 credit hours. There are multiple options of degrees in the field of music as you can do a Master’s in Music, or Master’s in arts with musicology, or you can take a Master’s in science with music and sound as a major. Each of these degrees offers multiple career paths that you can take based on your choice. Here is complete detail about these.

• Masters in Music or MM: This is the next level of degree after the BM. This is a professional-level degree that you need to get advanced skills in music. It helps you get a job as a teacher, instructor, or producer, and other high-profile jobs in the music field. This course is designed for the musicians; hence it requires less work in other fields or other subjects.
• Master’s in arts with musicology: This is the type of degree that you need if you want to pursue a career in live performance. Apart from studying music, you will also learn about other subjects such as fine arts, history, and communication. These subjects will help you find jobs even outside the field of music, performing arts, or production as well.
• Masters in Science with Music, and Sound as a major: This is a Master in Science with music and sound as a major. In this course, you will learn about the latest advancements in the field of music and sound. You will learn about new technologies that can be used in music production and tuning the sound. This also helps you get jobs as a sound engineer and as a designer.

3.   Doctorate:

A doctorate is the highest level of a professional degree in the music field. There are two types of doctorates that you can get in the music major. One is a Ph.D. that you can do after the MSc, MM, or MA in musicology and the second one is a DMA or doctorate of musical arts. This is a four-year-long degree that requires between 60 to 120 credit hours.

Skills You Will Learn from Music Degree:

After taking music as a major, here are a few skills that you will learn from your degree.

• Music composition.
• Live Performance.
• Communication.
• Music Production.
• Knowledge about musical instruments,
• Technology related to sound and music.
• Sound designing.
• Sound engineering.
• Event Organization.
• Marketing and PR Skills.

Conclusion:

Music is one of those majors that are not only easy to pass but also offer a great number of career choices that you can take. Most of these career choices in music are also very rewarding as you can make a six-figure income in some of these career choices. So, if you are someone who is enthusiastic about music and wants to work in this field, you should take music as a major. There are multiple options for you once you decide to take music as a major. One of these is that you can select music as a major in both arts and science fields. In science fields, your music major will focus more on scientific knowledge about sound and music. And in the arts field, your major will focus more on performance, composition, and learning to play musical instruments.

While selecting your type of degree, you should consider your job options carefully as they will dictate what type of job in the field of music you will get. For example, if you took science, you will have career choices such as sound engineer, or designer, sound effects creator, but if you took arts and music, you will be able to select from a wide range of choices such as live performance, production assistant, teaching, music composition, and playing musical instruments. I would suggest that you should think of your career goals and where you see yourself in the future and then select the appropriate career choice that will help you reach that point in your future and help you achieve your set goals while taking music as your major.

FAQs:

Question: What are the benefits of a music major?

Answer: There are a lot of benefits of the music major, starting from the fact that it is an easy major that is versatile. You can get a degree in science, arts, and music professions with a music major. Another important benefit is that it offers a lot of career options that are high-paying and also offers job security and satisfaction.

Question: How much salary can a music major get?

Answer: That exact answer depends on what career choice you make after being a music major. For example, if you become an artist, you will be making between $50,000 to $200,000 a year, or if you become an instrument player or a teacher, then you will have a different salary. So, you should take a look at different career choices data from bls.gov to know the exact median salaries.

Question: What are the requirements for a music degree?

Answer: Here are the requirements for a music degree: you must have a passion related to music, a good GPA in your previous exams, and some degrees might also require taking a test or interview before selection.