SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning. Excludes “Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers" (49-2097) who repair electrical and electronic musical instruments.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 49-9063.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $31,220 | $2,602 | $600 | $15.01 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $37,670 | $3,139 | $724 | $18.11 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $46,420 | $3,868 | $893 | $22.32 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $58,430 | $4,869 | $1,124 | $28.09 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $71,600 | $5,967 | $1,377 | $34.42 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners is $46,420, which is 9% lower. Among the 51 occupations of the field Installation, Maintenance, and Repair, it ranks number 47 by median pay. With 5,380 jobs, it makes up about 0.3 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners pay by state
The highest median pay was in Michigan ($59,570), New Jersey ($58,730) and Tennessee ($58,730). The lowest was in Mississippi ($23,980), Georgia ($29,640) and Oklahoma ($31,160). The most jobs were in Texas (580), California (520) and Tennessee (300). The occupation is most concentrated in Maine, where its share of all jobs is 3.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 210 | $59,570 | $52,370 | $28.64 |
| New Jersey | 200 | $58,730 | $57,830 | $28.24 |
| Tennessee | 300 | $58,730 | $59,170 | $28.24 |
| Maryland | 160 | $55,130 | $56,660 | $26.50 |
| Oregon | 40 | $54,800 | $54,050 | $26.35 |
| New York | 270 | $53,420 | $54,450 | $25.68 |
| Connecticut | 40 | $52,940 | $49,570 | $25.45 |
| Utah | 60 | $50,180 | $48,870 | $24.13 |
| Illinois | 200 | $49,250 | $57,380 | $23.68 |
| Maine | 90 | $48,530 | $58,460 | $23.33 |
| Texas | 580 | $48,250 | $55,790 | $23.20 |
| California | 520 | $47,580 | $51,150 | $22.88 |
| Pennsylvania | 240 | $47,520 | $48,820 | $22.85 |
| Missouri | 110 | $47,220 | $43,600 | $22.70 |
| Massachusetts | 130 | $46,820 | $50,800 | $22.51 |
| North Dakota | 30 | $46,780 | $45,120 | $22.49 |
| Wisconsin | 180 | $46,540 | $44,470 | $22.37 |
| Virginia | 120 | $45,140 | $45,420 | $21.70 |
| South Carolina | 90 | $44,870 | $43,000 | $21.57 |
| Minnesota | 100 | $44,230 | $42,730 | $21.27 |
| Florida | 140 | $44,030 | $42,260 | $21.17 |
| Kansas | 80 | $43,680 | $45,670 | $21.00 |
| Colorado | 70 | $43,670 | $46,960 | $21.00 |
| Washington | 150 | $43,330 | $45,770 | $20.83 |
| North Carolina | not published | $42,970 | $45,710 | $20.66 |
| Ohio | 230 | $39,900 | $44,630 | $19.19 |
| West Virginia | 30 | $38,920 | $41,170 | $18.71 |
| Iowa | 90 | $38,700 | $49,810 | $18.61 |
| Nevada | 90 | $38,500 | $47,560 | $18.51 |
| Indiana | 150 | $38,440 | $41,300 | $18.48 |
| Arizona | 110 | $37,850 | $44,220 | $18.20 |
| Oklahoma | 60 | $31,160 | $34,330 | $14.98 |
| Georgia | 100 | $29,640 | $38,280 | $14.25 |
| Mississippi | not published | $23,980 | $30,680 | $11.53 |
| Alabama | 40 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
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Common questions
How much do Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners earn in the United States?
The median pay was $46,420 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $31,220 and the highest-paid 10% more than $71,600.
How many people work as Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners?
About 5,380 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.