Pay by state · 41 states
Music Therapist Salary by State (2026)
Music Therapists earn the most in District of Columbia at $127,010 a year and the least in Nevada at $38,260 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $77,930. All 41 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $127,010District of Columbia
- National median
- $77,930BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $38,260Nevada
- States reporting
- 41of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Music Therapist salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of music therapists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $127,010 | $81,020 | $130,000 | 80 | $115,568 |
| 2 | ILIllinois | $116,200 | $65,750 | $193,760 | 1,060 | $116,249 |
| 3 | NJNew Jersey | $100,250 | $78,080 | $131,690 | 7,090 | $92,137 |
| 4 | HIHawaii | $99,560 | $65,650 | $99,560 | 40 | $90,549 |
| 5 | WAWashington | $98,550 | $89,690 | $98,550 | N/A | $92,092 |
| 6 | SCSouth Carolina | $90,980 | $59,990 | $129,040 | 70 | $97,046 |
| 7 | DEDelaware | $90,120 | $68,410 | $104,000 | 30 | $90,293 |
| 8 | NENebraska | $86,900 | $65,570 | $128,310 | 40 | $96,445 |
| 9 | RIRhode Island | $86,400 | $78,210 | $91,000 | 90 | $84,474 |
| 10 | OROregon | $81,860 | $72,940 | $101,150 | 170 | $79,198 |
| 11 | CACalifornia | $81,760 | $70,730 | $105,140 | 840 | $73,844 |
| 12 | NYNew York | $77,980 | $65,190 | $95,790 | 1,110 | $72,257 |
| 13 | KSKansas | $76,740 | $59,900 | $103,270 | 170 | $85,202 |
| 14 | MNMinnesota | $75,360 | $62,440 | $82,010 | 500 | $76,414 |
| 15 | KYKentucky | $75,060 | $64,080 | $112,070 | 190 | $83,253 |
| 16 | TXTexas | $74,750 | $47,620 | $100,360 | 1,320 | $77,017 |
| 17 | VAVirginia | $70,890 | $51,740 | $103,320 | 420 | $70,116 |
| 18 | OHOhio | $70,700 | $51,580 | $117,370 | 540 | $76,207 |
| 19 | MAMassachusetts | $69,050 | $57,540 | $83,210 | 170 | $65,291 |
| 20 | NHNew Hampshire | $69,040 | $43,630 | $82,850 | 100 | $66,279 |
| 21 | ALAlabama | $68,270 | $55,840 | $78,900 | 30 | $76,861 |
| 22 | WVWest Virginia | $67,580 | $44,040 | $90,250 | N/A | $75,511 |
| 23 | COColorado | $65,080 | $56,160 | $93,300 | 160 | $63,153 |
| 24 | FLFlorida | $64,600 | $55,710 | $84,360 | 440 | $62,467 |
| 25 | LALouisiana | $64,530 | $56,690 | $96,170 | 690 | $73,157 |
| 26 | AZArizona | $63,750 | $49,300 | $80,850 | 360 | $63,321 |
| 27 | PAPennsylvania | $62,310 | $51,420 | $73,220 | 710 | $63,861 |
| 28 | ARArkansas | $61,920 | $53,300 | $88,070 | 460 | $71,224 |
| 29 | UTUtah | $61,770 | $52,110 | $76,290 | 70 | $62,480 |
| 30 | INIndiana | $61,720 | $50,510 | $74,120 | 350 | $66,132 |
| 31 | MOMissouri | $60,990 | $48,990 | $67,980 | 340 | $67,157 |
| 32 | NCNorth Carolina | $60,400 | $52,040 | $67,870 | 530 | $64,033 |
| 33 | OKOklahoma | $60,090 | $51,850 | $103,260 | N/A | $68,406 |
| 34 | WIWisconsin | $59,420 | $47,900 | $66,010 | 280 | $63,149 |
| 35 | GAGeorgia | $59,380 | $50,220 | $84,630 | 970 | $61,666 |
| 36 | MIMichigan | $57,970 | $50,860 | $67,680 | 320 | $60,249 |
| 37 | TNTennessee | $56,690 | $47,050 | $73,370 | 210 | $61,707 |
| 38 | MDMaryland | $49,400 | $46,540 | $80,380 | 1,310 | $47,066 |
| 39 | CTConnecticut | $47,300 | $40,080 | $77,480 | 510 | $45,652 |
| 40 | MSMississippi | $44,280 | $41,570 | $46,520 | 140 | $50,924 |
| 41 | NVNevada | $38,260 | $36,830 | $41,400 | N/A | $38,268 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Music Therapists, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $127,010, while Illinois leads once prices are taken into account at $116,249.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Music Therapist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Music Therapists the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Music Therapists at $127,010 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Illinois ($116,200) and New Jersey ($100,250).
Which state pays Music Therapists the least?
Nevada reports the lowest median for Music Therapists at $38,260 a year, $88,750 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Music Therapists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Illinois first at $116,249 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $116,200. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.