Musicians and Singers

What Musicians and Singers Do

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

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Long-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

46.8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Fine Artsimportance 4.5/5
• English Languageimportance 3.1/5
• Foreign Languageimportance 2.5/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 2.5/5
• Communications and Mediaimportance 2.4/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.4/5
• Philosophy and Theologyimportance 2.3/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 2.3/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.6/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
• Physical Proximity4.6/5
• Contact With Others4.2/5
• Spend Time Sitting4.1/5
• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.0/5

Related Careers

• Music Directors and Composers
• Actors
• Choreographers
• Dancers
• Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
• Producers and Directors
• Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
• Therapists, All Other

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education98% skill match
• Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education98% skill match
• Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors98% skill match
• Special Education Teachers, Preschool97% skill match
• Interpreters and Translators97% skill match
• Self-Enrichment Teachers97% skill match
• Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials97% skill match
• Psychiatric Technicians97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
• Service Orientationimportance 2.9/5
• Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
• Persuasionimportance 2.8/5
• Systems Analysisimportance 2.8/5
• Negotiationimportance 2.6/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.6/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Self-Confidence
• Social Orientation
• Innovation
• Perseverance
• Achievement Orientation
• Optimism
• Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• ArtisticHigh
• EnterprisingMedium
• SocialMedium
• RealisticLow
• ConventionalLow
• InvestigativeLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where musicians and singers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Kalamazoo-Portage, MI6.31× national avg
2. 2Urban Honolulu, HI5.39× national avg
3. 3Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN5.00× national avg
4. 4Ann Arbor, MI4.85× national avg
5. 5Eugene-Springfield, OR4.83× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Self-Enrichment TeachersCareer Change
• Psychiatric TechniciansCareer Change
• Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports OfficialsLateral Move
• Substitute Teachers, Short-TermCareer Change

See the full career path from Musicians and Singers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.