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Creative & Media

Musicians and Singers

Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording.

Median salary (BLS)

Varied

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

Varied

Job outlook

+1% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $91,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$40,000–$150,000

Time to qualify

4 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Musicians and Singers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Musicians and Singers Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Musicians and Singers

    Entry / Junior

    Varied

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Musicians and Singers

    Established

    Varied

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Musicians and Singers

    Senior

    Varied

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.
  • •Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.
  • •Sing as a soloist or as a member of a vocal group.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Creative & Media

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.