What Can You Do With a Music Degree? 10 Careers Beyond the Stage

TL;DR

• If you're asking what can you do with a music degree, the honest answer is: way more than most people think. Music therapy, audio engineering, arts admin, education, marketing, media production. Median salaries range from $40,000 to $161,000+.

• This guide breaks down 10 career paths that actually hire music grads, what they pay, and which ones are growing fastest.

• Those skills you built (performing under pressure, spotting patterns, solving problems creatively) transfer to industries you've probably never considered.

• Your degree isn't useless. But you'll need to learn how to translate your training into language that makes hiring managers pay attention.

Externships are short, remote professional experience programs where you work on real projects with real companies. An Externship in consumer behavior and market analysis with Beats by Dre, data analytics with Beats by Dre, or product innovation with BeReal gives you resume-ready project experience before you graduate. Explore all Externships.

Why Do People Think a Music Degree Is Useless (and Why They're Wrong)?

Look, every music major has sat through that Thanksgiving dinner conversation. "So what are you going to do with that?" Your uncle says it with this concerned face, like you just told him you're majoring in underwater basket weaving.

Here's what he doesn't get. Music is a liberal arts degree, and it builds the exact transferable skills that employers keep saying they can't find enough of. The real issue isn't your degree. It's that nobody taught you how to talk about it in a way hiring managers understand.

The Skills Employers Actually Want From Music Graduates

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE, 2024), the top competencies employers want are teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and performing under pressure. Sound familiar?

Think about it. Four years of ensemble rehearsals? That's team collaboration. Sight-reading a piece you've never seen? Rapid adaptation. The discipline of practicing three hours a day when nobody's making you? Self-directed project management. And performing in front of hundreds of people built composure that most business grads won't develop for another decade.

These are exactly the kinds of skills that show up on lists of jobs AI won't replace. Creative thinking, emotional intelligence, live performance. Automation can't touch those.

Your music training didn't just make you a musician. It made you a professional with a skill set that's genuinely hard to find.

Students from more than 100 different majors participate in Extern programs, and music majors consistently stand out for their blend of creativity and discipline.

What Jobs Can You Get With a Music Degree?

Here are 10 careers where your music degree genuinely matters. Not in some vague "it taught me discipline" way. In a "this is literally why they hired me" way. Every role includes BLS salary data so you can plan with real numbers instead of vibes.

Music Therapist

Music therapists use music to help patients manage pain, improve motor skills, and process emotions. You'd work in hospitals, rehab centers, schools, or mental health clinics. You'll need board certification (MT-BC) from the Certification Board for Music Therapists, which means finishing an approved program and passing the national exam.

The BLS reports a median salary of $60,280 for recreational therapists (that's the category music therapists fall under), with 3% projected growth from 2024 to 2034. Demand is climbing in elder care and mental health, which makes this one of the steadier options.

Audio Engineer / Sound Designer

If you spent more time in the recording studio than the recital hall, this is your lane. Audio engineers and sound designers work across film, gaming, podcasting, and live events. The work splits into two tracks: studio recording (capturing and mixing) and post-production (sound effects and audio for visual media).

Median pay is $56,600 per year according to BLS data for broadcast, sound, and video technicians (May 2024), with 1% growth projected through 2034.

Music Teacher (K-12)

This is the one everyone assumes you'll do. And honestly? It's still a solid choice. K-12 music teachers lead band, choir, orchestra, and general music classes. You'll need state teaching certification, which usually means student teaching hours plus a content exam.

BLS data shows a median salary of $64,580 for high school teachers (May 2024). Growth is projected at -2% through 2034, but here's the thing: about 66,200 openings pop up each year as teachers retire or switch careers. So there's still plenty of opportunity.

Music Producer

Independent production has blown up thanks to affordable DAWs and platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud. As a producer, you're creating, arranging, and mixing tracks for artists, brands, or yourself. Pay is all over the map: $40,000 for someone just starting out, $150,000+ if you're working with established names.

Your music degree gives you the theory and ear training that self-taught producers often struggle to build on their own.

Arts Administrator / Nonprofit Manager

Orchestras, museums, festivals, and cultural nonprofits need people who get both the art and the business. Arts administrators handle budgets, coordinate programming, run fundraising campaigns, and keep the whole operation moving. You don't need an MBA. Your understanding of the arts community is the qualification.

The BLS reports a median salary of $80,240 for social and community service managers (May 2024), with 6% growth through 2034. If you've ever organized a recital or managed a student ensemble's tour, you've already done a version of this job. And it overlaps a lot with careers for art history majors.

Entertainment Marketing / Music PR

Here's where it gets interesting. Music grads understand audiences, cultural trends, and timing in ways that business majors frankly don't. Labels, streaming platforms, and brands like Beats by Dre hire people who can connect creative culture with strategy. Think social media management, brand partnerships, campaign planning, PR.

Marketing managers earn a median of $161,030 per year (BLS, May 2024), with 6% projected growth. You won't start at that number, obviously. But the ceiling is really high. For more on this direction, check out our guide on what you can do with a marketing degree.

Music Technology / Software

Companies like Spotify, Apple Music, Ableton, and Native Instruments want people who understand music AND technology. Product management for music apps, UX research on listening behavior, algorithm design for recommendation engines, developer relations for audio tools. These roles exist.

Pay ranges from $70,000 to $130,000+ at the mid-career level. You'll need to add some technical chops (data analysis, basic coding, product management), but your domain knowledge is something most tech candidates simply don't have.

Film/TV/Game Composer

Scoring for visual media keeps growing because streaming platforms and gaming studios can't stop producing content. Netflix alone releases hundreds of titles per year. Indie filmmakers and ad agencies need original music too.

Salaries vary wildly. A few thousand for indie work, six figures for major studio gigs. Your degree gives you the compositional skills and theory that this career demands. But, well, actually, the portfolio and your network matter just as much as the degree here.

Music Journalist / Critic

Love writing about music as much as playing it? Outlets like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, NPR Music, and a ton of podcasts and YouTube channels need people with real musical knowledge. Your education gives you the vocabulary and framework to write with credibility that general journalists can't match.

Getting started is easy (launch a blog today). Getting paid well is harder. Freelance rates run $100 to $500 per piece, and full-time editorial gigs pay $45,000 to $75,000.

Corporate Training / Event Production

This one surprises people. Performance and presentation skills from music transfer directly to corporate training. You already know how to hold a room, read an audience, and deliver a polished presentation. Event production for concerts, conferences, and corporate functions is another natural fit.

Training and development managers earn a median salary of $127,090 (BLS, May 2024), with 6% projected growth. Even entry-level training roles pay around $65,000. The skills transfer is almost too clean.

Which Music Careers Pay the Most?

Quick comparison, sorted by earning potential:

Salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (May 2024). Variable ranges reflect industry estimates.

The takeaway? You don't have to choose between doing what you love and making a real living. But the paths that pay the most tend to combine your music background with business, tech, or management skills.

How to Break Into Non-Music Careers With a Music Degree

Translate Your Skills Into Business Language

Honestly, this is where most music grads trip up. You describe your experience in music terms on your resume, and recruiters have no idea what you're talking about. "Principal second violin" means nothing to someone in tech recruiting.

Here's how to reframe it:

• Ensemble performance = team collaboration and cross-functional communication

• Sight-reading = rapid adaptation to new information

• Daily practice discipline = self-directed project management

• Improvisation = creative problem-solving under constraints

Your degree isn't the problem. Your resume probably is.

For more tactics, see our guide on how to get a job with no experience.

Build Proof Outside the Practice Room

Hiring managers want evidence you can do the work. Not just a transcript and a recital recording.

The fastest way to build that proof? Project-based experience in the industry you're targeting. 94% of students rated their Externship experience positively (Extern post-program survey, 2026), and many used that portfolio work to land their first role outside music.

If you're into marketing, media, or creative strategy, a real project with a real company shows employers you've already made the leap. That single deliverable matters more than any cover letter you'll ever write.

Is a Music Degree Worth the Investment?

The Real ROI Conversation

Let's talk money, because this matters. Music degrees aren't cheap. Conservatory tuition can run $40,000 to $60,000 per year. Even state school programs pile on costs for private lessons, instruments, and fees.

So is it worth it?

It depends. If your only plan is a traditional performance career, the math gets rough. But if you branch out into the paths above, your earning potential ranges from $56,000 to well over $100,000. That's competitive with most bachelor's degrees.

The key is starting early. Students who get cross-functional experience before graduation (through hands-on projects, freelance gigs, or side roles) consistently find jobs faster. Waiting until after you walk across the stage? That's when the degree starts to feel expensive.

How to Stand Out as a Music Graduate

Three Moves That Change Your Trajectory

Here's a simple three-step playbook:

1. Pick one adjacent industry and get real experience. Don't scatter yourself across five different fields. Choose one (marketing, tech, healthcare, education) and do an Externship or freelance project. Actual experience always beats "I'm really interested in..."

2. Learn one business skill. Marketing analytics, project management, or production software like Pro Tools or Ableton. You don't need another degree. A few months of focused learning or a certification is plenty.

3. Build a portfolio with range. Show project deliverables, campaign work, production samples, or event documentation alongside your performance clips. Hiring managers want proof you can do more than perform.

According to LinkedIn's 2025 Workplace Learning Report, employers are placing more value on creative skills and adaptability. And those are literally what your entire college experience was about. Your mileage may vary by industry, but your background is more marketable than you think.

FAQs

What is the highest-paying career with a music degree?

Entertainment marketing management tops the list at $161,030 median salary according to BLS data. Corporate training management comes in second at $127,090. Both roles reward the audience awareness, presentation skills, and creative thinking that music programs specifically develop in their graduates.

Can you get a good job with just a music degree?

Yes, but it depends on how you position yourself. Music therapists, audio engineers, and K-12 music teachers all hire directly from music programs. No second degree needed. For business or tech roles, you'll typically want to add project experience or a relevant certification to make the transition smoother.

Is a music degree a waste of money?

Not if you plan ahead. Music grads who branch into therapy, arts admin, marketing, or music tech earn competitive salaries. It only becomes a risky investment if you wait until after graduation to explore what else is out there. Start early, and the ROI looks a lot better.

What jobs can music majors get outside of music?

Marketing, event production, corporate training, UX research for audio products, nonprofit management, content creation, and education technology. The discipline, teamwork, and creative problem-solving you built transfer directly. Honestly, plenty of employers struggle to find these exact skills in traditional business grads.

Do I need a master's degree to work in the music industry?

For most roles, nope. Audio engineering, production, marketing, journalism, and arts administration typically hire based on portfolio and experience rather than graduate degrees. Music therapy and K-12 teaching are the big exceptions, since both require additional certification or graduate coursework.

How long does it take to build a career after a music degree?

Most grads land their first relevant role within six months to a year, assuming they started building cross-functional experience in school. Music therapy and teaching certifications add one to two years. Business-adjacent pivots usually take one to three years of focused skill-building and networking.