Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

27-2042 Musicians and Singers

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


National estimates for Musicians and Singers
Industry profile for Musicians and Singers
Geographic profile for Musicians and Singers

National estimates for Musicians and Singers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Musicians and Singers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
34,770 3.6 % $ 41.72 (4) 2.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for Musicians and Singers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 11.17 $ 17.67 $ 31.40 $ 54.60 $ 87.47
  (4)

Industry profile for Musicians and Singers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Musicians and Singers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Musicians and Singers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Musicians and Singers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Performing Arts Companies 15,960 15.61 $ 48.47 (4)
Religious Organizations 8,670 4.62 $ 38.27 (4)
Elementary and Secondary Schools 2,230 0.03 $ 29.77 (4)
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 1,760 0.06 $ 29.95 (4)
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 1,550 3.21 $ 35.27 (4)

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Musicians and Singers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Performing Arts Companies 15,960 15.61 $ 48.47 (4)
Religious Organizations 8,670 4.62 $ 38.27 (4)
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 1,550 3.21 $ 35.27 (4)
Sound Recording Industries 460 2.57 (8) (8)
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events 930 0.81 $ 50.74 (4)

Top paying industries for Musicians and Singers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events 930 0.81 $ 50.74 (4)
Death Care Services 80 0.06 $ 49.09 (4)
Performing Arts Companies 15,960 15.61 $ 48.47 (4)
Individual and Family Services (8) (8) $ 45.91 (4)
Religious Organizations 8,670 4.62 $ 38.27 (4)


Geographic profile for Musicians and Singers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Musicians and Singers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Musicians and Singers, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Musicians and Singers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 5,150 0.31 1.25 $ 49.07 (4)
New York 5,110 0.59 2.35 $ 45.59 (4)
Illinois 1,940 0.34 1.38 $ 49.24 (4)
Florida 1,690 0.20 0.80 $ 43.14 (4)
Tennessee 1,590 0.55 2.19 $ 34.59 (4)




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Musicians and Singers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 650 1.14 4.55 $ 35.74 (4)
Montana 300 0.65 2.59 $ 14.20 (4)
New York 5,110 0.59 2.35 $ 45.59 (4)
Tennessee 1,590 0.55 2.19 $ 34.59 (4)
Oregon 900 0.50 2.00 $ 32.95 (4)




Top paying states for Musicians and Singers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Georgia 570 0.13 0.53 $ 67.02 (4)
Indiana 700 0.24 0.96 $ 52.77 (4)
Arizona 540 0.19 0.77 $ 51.78 (4)
Nevada 300 0.24 0.96 $ 50.87 (4)
Illinois 1,940 0.34 1.38 $ 49.24 (4)





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Musicians and Singers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,520 0.51 2.05 $ 48.66 (4)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,880 0.49 1.98 $ 49.11 (4)
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,590 0.37 1.46 $ 48.70 (4)
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 1,230 1.27 5.09 $ 36.24 (4)
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,040 0.53 2.12 $ 36.30 (4)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 890 0.30 1.18 $ 42.16 (4)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 870 0.37 1.49 $ 53.48 (4)
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 820 0.32 1.26 $ 41.71 (4)
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 550 0.22 0.88 $ 46.88 (4)
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 470 0.18 0.70 $ 33.83 (4)




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Musicians and Singers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Albany, OR 70 1.56 6.25 $ 16.47 (4)
Eugene, OR 210 1.41 5.62 $ 28.43 (4)
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 90 1.39 5.57 $ 33.19 (4)
Great Falls, MT 40 1.30 5.22 (8) (8)
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 1,230 1.27 5.09 $ 36.24 (4)
Missoula, MT 60 1.07 4.26 $ 10.03 (4)
Urban Honolulu, HI 440 1.05 4.20 $ 33.69 (4)
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 120 0.93 3.71 (8) (8)
Peoria, IL 140 0.87 3.47 (8) (8)
Trenton, NJ 190 0.82 3.28 $ 59.78 (4)




Top paying metropolitan areas for Musicians and Singers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Trenton, NJ 190 0.82 3.28 $ 59.78 (4)
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC (8) (8) (8) $ 56.77 (4)
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (8) (8) (8) $ 54.89 (4)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 290 0.27 1.07 $ 54.28 (4)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 870 0.37 1.49 $ 53.48 (4)
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 200 0.22 0.89 $ 52.95 (4)
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (8) (8) (8) $ 51.51 (4)
Dayton, OH 130 0.35 1.40 $ 51.10 (4)
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 380 0.21 0.83 $ 50.24 (4)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,880 0.49 1.98 $ 49.11 (4)

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Musicians and Singers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 120 1.34 5.36 $ 44.83 (4)
East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 90 0.76 3.02 (8) (8)
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 90 0.57 2.27 $ 26.00 (4)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 90 0.23 0.92 $ 18.25 (4)
Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 50 0.37 1.48 (8) (8)

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Musicians and Singers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 120 1.34 5.36 $ 44.83 (4)
East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 90 0.76 3.02 (8) (8)
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 90 0.57 2.27 $ 26.00 (4)
Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area 40 0.42 1.70 $ 38.72 (4)
Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 50 0.37 1.48 (8) (8)

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Musicians and Singers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 120 1.34 5.36 $ 44.83 (4)
Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area 40 0.42 1.70 $ 38.72 (4)
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 40 0.33 1.32 $ 31.50 (4)
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 40 0.24 0.98 $ 30.97 (4)
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 90 0.57 2.27 $ 26.00 (4)


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(4) Wages for some occupations that do not generally work year-round, full time, are reported either as hourly wages or annual salaries depending on how they are typically paid.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021