The median hourly wage for musicians and singers was $24.20 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.20, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $68.98.
In May 2015, the median hourly wages for musicians and singers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries
$26.94
Educational services; state, local, and private
22.20
Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations
20.54
In 2014, about 2 out of 5 musicians and singers were self-employed. Rehearsals and recording sessions are commonly held during business hours, but live performances are most often at night and on weekends.
Many musicians and singers find only part-time or intermittent work, and may have long periods of unemployment between jobs. The stress of constantly looking for work leads many to accept permanent full-time jobs in other occupations while working part time as a musician or singer.
Musicians and Singers
Median hourly wages, May 2015
Musicians and singers
$24.20
Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers
$19.25
Total, all occupations
$17.40
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics