Music Therapists earn a median of $77,930 per year ($37.47/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 12.6% through 2035, with about 3,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 29-1129
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Music Therapist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $77,930a year, or $37.47/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $47KTop 10% $153K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +12.6%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+12.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +12.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,60056,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202556.1K
- Projected 203563.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 56.1K Projected 2035 63.2K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Bachelor's73.1%
- Post-bacc certificate11.5%
- Master's15.4%
Highest education held by music therapists Segment Value Bachelor's 73.1% Post-bacc certificate 11.5% Master's 15.4%
Also advertised as: Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC), LCAT (Licensed Creative Arts Therapist), Music Therapist, Neurologic Music Therapist, Public School System Music Therapist, Therapist.
Pay
How much do Music Therapists make?
Every music therapist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$77,930
Middle half earn $58,850 to $105,760
- 10th
- $46,540
- 25th
- $58,850
- 75th
- $105,760
- 90th
- $152,530
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $46,540 |
| 25th | $58,850 |
| Median | $77,930 |
| 75th | $105,760 |
| 90th | $152,530 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $77,930
- Median hourly wage
- $37.47/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $90,420
- People employed
- 22,640
Versus all US occupations
At $77,930, Music Therapists earn 53% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $26,950 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 24% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $152,530 or more while the bottom 10% earn $46,540, a gap of 3.3×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 54% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($127,010), but once local prices are taken into account Illinois leads at $116,249 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Music Therapists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $127,010 | $115,568 | 80 |
| 2Illinois | $116,200 | $116,249 | 1,060 |
| 3New Jersey | $100,250 | $92,137 | 7,090 |
| 4Hawaii | $99,560 | $90,549 | 40 |
| 5Washington | $98,550 | $92,092 | N/A |
| 6South Carolina | $90,980 | $97,046 | 70 |
| 7Delaware | $90,120 | $90,293 | 30 |
| 8Nebraska | $86,900 | $96,445 | 40 |
| 9Rhode Island | $86,400 | $84,474 | 90 |
| 10Oregon | $81,860 | $79,198 | 170 |
Job outlook
Is Music Therapist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +12.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Music Therapists | +12.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Music Therapists to change 12.6% over 2025–2035, roughly 3.6× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 7,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,600 openings are projected each year, 6.4% of the 56,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Music Therapist
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as music therapists.
- Bachelor's Degree73.1%
- Master's Degree15.4%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate11.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 73.1% |
| Master's Degree | 15.4% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 11.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Music Therapist do?
Plan, organize, direct, or assess clinical and evidenced-based music therapy interventions to positively influence individuals' physical, psychological, cognitive, or behavioral status.
Day-to-day tasks
- Design or provide music therapy experiences to address client needs, such as using music for self-care, adjusting to life changes, improving cognitive functioning, raising self-esteem, communicating, or controlling impulses.
- Design music therapy experiences, using various musical elements to meet client's goals or objectives.
- Sing or play musical instruments, such as keyboard, guitar, or percussion instruments.
- Communicate with clients to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect upon their reactions to musical experiences.
- Customize treatment programs for specific areas of music therapy, such as intellectual or developmental disabilities, educational settings, geriatrics, medical settings, mental health, physical disabilities, or wellness.
- Document evaluations, treatment plans, case summaries, or progress or other reports related to individual clients or client groups.
- Improvise instrumentally, vocally, or physically to meet client's therapeutic needs.
- Gather diagnostic data from sources such as case documentation, observations of clients, or interviews with clients or family members.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Learning Strategies3.8
- Monitoring3.8
- Writing3.3
- Active Learning3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.3 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.3
- Service Orientation4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Coordination3.3
- Persuasion3.3
- Negotiation3.3
- Instructing3.3
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.3 |
| Service Orientation | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.3 |
| Negotiation | 3.3 |
| Instructing | 3.3 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Office suite software · in demand
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
- Medical software
- Music or sound editing software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Music Therapist?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Music Therapist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 5 |
| Social | 5 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
- Social5.2
- Artistic4.8
- Investigative4.2
- Conventional3.1
- Enterprising2.5
- Realistic2.4
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Music Therapist
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Community and Social Service
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with music therapists highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Music Therapist$77,930
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Music Therapist | $77,930 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Music Therapist appears on
Questions
Music Therapist: frequently asked questions
How much do Music Therapists make?
Music Therapists earn a median of $77,930 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 53% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $37.47/hr. The middle half earn between $58,850 and $105,760. The top 10% earn $152,530 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Music Therapist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Music Therapists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 73.1% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Music Therapist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 12.6% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Music Therapist do?
Plan, organize, direct, or assess clinical and evidenced-based music therapy interventions to positively influence individuals' physical, psychological, cognitive, or behavioral status. A core O*NET task: design or provide music therapy experiences to address client needs, such as using music for self-care, adjusting to life changes, improving cognitive functioning, raising self-esteem, communicating, or controlling impulses. Employers most often ask for Office suite software.
Which states pay Music Therapists the most?
The highest state medians for Music Therapists are District of Columbia ($127,010), Illinois ($116,200), New Jersey ($100,250) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Illinois moves to the top at $116,249.
What personality type suits a Music Therapist?
O*NET scores Music Therapists highest on the Social, Artistic and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INFP, ENFP, INFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.