The average salary for a music artist in California is around $91,166 per year.
Avg Salary
Music artists earn an average yearly salary of $91,166.
Wages typically start from $44,949 and go up to $257,150.
57% above national average Updated in 2025
Music artist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level music artist earnings begin at:
$123.63 per hour
$257,150 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level music artist earnings begin at:
$75.32 per hour
$156,666 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level music artist earnings begin at:
$43.83 per hour
$91,166 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level music artist earnings begin at:
$28.23 per hour
$58,718 per year
10th percentile
Starting level music artist earnings begin at:
$21.61 per hour
$44,949 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Music artist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Montana | $97,427 |
| Washington | $96,824 |
| Colorado | $96,242 |
| New Mexico | $93,891 |
| California | $91,166 |
| Indiana | $83,034 |
| Missouri | $81,578 |
| Maryland | $81,058 |
| Massachusetts | $80,954 |
| Michigan | $76,190 |
| Wisconsin | $76,149 |
| Maine | $74,381 |
| Iowa | $74,152 |
| Texas | $69,867 |
| Ohio | $69,389 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,197 |
| Georgia | $65,541 |
| New York | $64,813 |
| District of Columbia | $64,272 |
| Kansas | $59,571 |
| New Jersey | $55,515 |
| Rhode Island | $54,288 |
| Arkansas | $53,539 |
| Alabama | $49,483 |
| Utah | $45,718 |
| Oregon | $45,406 |
| Vermont | $45,386 |
| Louisiana | $40,539 |
| South Carolina | $40,082 |
| Nebraska | $30,805 |
| Nevada | $136,157 |
| North Carolina | $120,557 |
| Minnesota | $111,571 |
| Illinois | $110,490 |
| Hawaii | $109,387 |
| Connecticut | $105,560 |
| Virginia | $105,248 |
| Florida | $104,978 |
How do music artist salaries compare to similar careers?
Music artists earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than talent directors but more than composers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Talent director salary | $130K |
| Music artist salary | $91K |
| Musician salary | $91K |
| Singer salary | $91K |
| Music teacher salary | $99K |
| Composer salary | $93K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)