SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 27-2042.
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 | An hour |
|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $20.35 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $27.57 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $47.80 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $75.33 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $132.56 |
BLS publishes only hourly pay for this occupation, because many of these workers are paid by the hour and do not work a full year of 2,080 hours.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $24.51 an hour. The median for Musicians and Singers is $47.80, which is 95% higher. Among the 41 occupations of the field Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media, it ranks number 3 by median pay. With 36,180 jobs, it makes up about 2.3 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Musicians and Singers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Nevada ($65.46), North Carolina ($57.96) and Minnesota ($53.64). The lowest was in South Carolina ($19.27), Vermont ($21.82) and Utah ($21.98). The most jobs were in California (6,840), New York (5,470) and Florida (2,130). The occupation is most concentrated in Hawaii, where its share of all jobs is 5.1 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 260 | $65.46 |
| North Carolina | 750 | $57.96 |
| Minnesota | 540 | $53.64 |
| Illinois | 1,300 | $53.12 |
| Hawaii | 740 | $52.59 |
| Connecticut | 520 | $50.75 |
| Virginia | 400 | $50.60 |
| Florida | 2,130 | $50.47 |
| Montana | 260 | $46.84 |
| Washington | 750 | $46.55 |
| Colorado | 420 | $46.27 |
| New Mexico | 60 | $45.14 |
| California | 6,840 | $43.83 |
| Indiana | 400 | $39.92 |
| Missouri | 620 | $39.22 |
| Maryland | 570 | $38.97 |
| Massachusetts | 680 | $38.92 |
| Michigan | 1,340 | $36.63 |
| Wisconsin | 380 | $36.61 |
| Maine | 30 | $35.76 |
| Iowa | 250 | $35.65 |
| Texas | 1,430 | $33.59 |
| Ohio | 1,760 | $33.36 |
| Kansas | 260 | $28.64 |
| Alabama | 190 | $23.79 |
| Utah | 230 | $21.98 |
| Vermont | 30 | $21.82 |
| South Carolina | 330 | $19.27 |
| Arizona | 410 | not published |
| Arkansas | 110 | not published |
| District of Columbia | 200 | not published |
| Georgia | 540 | not published |
| Kentucky | 130 | not published |
| Louisiana | 150 | not published |
| Mississippi | 80 | not published |
| New Jersey | 570 | not published |
| New York | 5,470 | not published |
| Oklahoma | 280 | not published |
| Oregon | 1,310 | not published |
| Pennsylvania | 1,160 | not published |
| Tennessee | 1,860 | not published |
| Puerto Rico | 90 | 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.
Similar occupations by pay
- Art Directors$114,850 a year
- Special Effects Artists and Animators$102,030 a year
- Technical Writers$90,390 a year
- Producers and Directors$90,360 a year
- Commercial and Industrial Designers$83,910 a year
Common questions
How much do Musicians and Singers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $47.80 an hour in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How many people work as Musicians and Singers?
About 36,180 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.
More in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Pay converter