How long does the training take?

Typically no schooling after high school, then more than a year of training on the job. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

Do you need a degree for this work?

No. Most people are hired and trained on the job; a program is optional.

Where can you train for this work?

1,180 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Musicians and singers: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Arts, design, media & film · SOC 27-2042

NoneUS median pay, 2025

+0.3%Projected growth, 2025–35

17,400Openings per year

On the jobUsual way in

How you get in

Most people are hired and trained on the job, so school is optional. A program can still help you stand out.

No formal educational credential (a program is optional for this job)
Long-term on-the-job training
Work in: musicians and singers

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Music, General	CIP 50.0901	1,007
Music Performance, General	CIP 50.0903	365
Musical Theatre	CIP 50.0509	109
Music, Other	CIP 50.0999	93
Voice and Opera	CIP 50.0908	87
Keyboard Instruments	CIP 50.0907	69
Jazz/Jazz Studies	CIP 50.0910	62
Music Pedagogy	CIP 50.0912	50
Stringed Instruments	CIP 50.0911	27
Brass Instruments	CIP 50.0914	16
Woodwind Instruments	CIP 50.0915	15
Percussion Instruments	CIP 50.0916	13

See the 1,180 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically no schooling after high school, then more than a year of training on the job. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
Do you need a degree for this work?: No. Most people are hired and trained on the job; a program is optional.
Where can you train for this work?: 1,180 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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