We’ve all heard the “starving artist” cliche. Even though it can be challenging to make a living in the music industry, there are many high-paying music jobs out there! You just need to know where to look…
— February 9th, 2021
There are plenty of opportunities in the music industry, and not all of them entail being the one headlining the tours. As you already know, it takes a village (literally) to launch tours, record music, and develop talent.
So, if music is your true passion, and you want a reliable and profitable career, you have options. Below we will talk about 6 jobs with pretty decent salaries to get you started:
- Orchestral Musician
Being an orchestral musician isn’t simple, but it can generate a generous salary if done right. Here, the most significant factor determining your success will be the orchestra you play for.
For instance, if you’re with a full-time orchestra, playing roughly 40 weeks per year, as a member of the Alabama Symphony, you’ll earn $37,000. Nonetheless, if you land with a major symphony, such as the Boston Symphony, you could be making between $100,00 and $150,000 annually.
2. Music Therapist
Most music therapists start at around $30,000 per year and hope to make up to $72,000 a year. It is a great and rewarding job, especially for individuals interested in the sciences as much as they are in music.
Music therapists work in healthcare and education and can work for:
- Hospitals
- Community Mental Health Agencies
- Rehab Clinics
- Prisons
- Disability Centers
- And more
3. Video Game Sound Designer
Video game sound designers provide detailed plans for how the performance’s sound will occur, and they regularly create voice and sound effects that integrate into the game.
In many cases, video Game Sound Designers are also the director of audio or audio tool developers. And according to recent game industry statistics, anyone with any of those titles can earn well over $100,000 a year.
4. Road Managers
If you like a fast-paced adventurous life, then you will love this gig! A Road managers’ job is to go on tour with headlining acts to ensure everything goes as planned.
As a road manager, you’ll be working with:
- Travel plans
- Tour budgets
- Merchandise sales
- Fan interactions
- Press requests
It is not an easy job, as hundreds of things have to be accounted for. But the average tour manager makes about $51,000; and
if you move on to the big leagues, you’ll be making more than $125,000 every year guaranteed.
5. Music Attorney
It is a career that will please your parents AND fulfill your love for music!
Just like with any other type of attorney, you’ll need to go to law school and receive proper certification. The great thing is, there are many musical undergraduate degrees you can pursue before heading off to law school.
Once you’re officially licensed, you can expect to bring in $70,000 a year starting. But know that the average salary for a Music Lawyer is $136,260, and in most cases, it surpasses this number.
6. Audio/Sound Engineer
A very hands-on career! Finding the perfect levels, fixing the tone, utilizing software, and mastering the track are just a few of an audio/sound engineer’s duties.
In the beginning, you can take on as many projects as you want (or are physically capable of taking); this will give you valuable experience and position you within the industry.
Once you have established yourself as a successful audio engineer, you can break the $80,000 barrier.
This article is a re-post, with small modifications, of “” an article published on aimm.edu.
