Musician earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level musician earnings begin at:

$106.28 per hour

$221,062 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level musician earnings begin at:

$85.71 per hour

$178,277 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level musician earnings begin at:

$50.75 per hour

$105,560 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level musician earnings begin at:

$30.57 per hour

$63,586 per year

10th percentile

Starting level musician earnings begin at:

$23.34 per hour

$48,547 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Musician 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 $66,768
Georgia $65,541
New York $64,813
District of Columbia $64,272
Kansas $59,571
New Jersey $55,515
Rhode Island $54,288
Arkansas $52,320
Alabama $49,483
Utah $45,718
Oregon $45,406
Vermont $45,386
Louisiana $40,539
South Carolina $40,082
Tennessee $39,054
Nebraska $30,805
Arizona $27,040
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 musician salaries compare to similar careers?

Musicians earn 7% more than similar careers in Connecticut. On average, they make less than singers but more than composers.

Career Median Salary
Singer salary $106K
Music artist salary $106K
Musician salary $106K
Talent director salary $88K
Composer salary $77K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)