Music Therapist Salary

Music therapy is an interesting field that is rapidly advancing. According to The American Music Therapy Association, there were twice as many full-time positions created than there were lost in 2008. If you are looking for a career in music therapy, you should be aware of the salary potential of this specialty.

Music Therapy

If you think about culture, music is one of its main characteristics. According to Florida Health Careers, music has the ability to heal patients physically, mentally and emotionally. Music therapists are trained professionals required to complete undergraduate course work, as well as a six-month internship period. A master's in music therapy is optional, and this of course can provide opportunities of higher positions with more responsibility and higher salary.

Salary

According to a survey conducted by the American Music Therapy Association, the average salary for a music therapist in 2008 was $47,934, depending on experience and training. Your salary may also depend on where you live. According to this same study, the region with the highest salaries included those who worked outside of the United States. Inside the United States., the region with the highest salary was the West, with an average of $52,083. A close second was New England, with an average salary of $51,400.

Other Salary Factors

Your salary may depend on the type of group that you are serving. In 2008, the average salary for a music therapist serving college students was $59,528. Meanwhile, those attending to the terminally ill earned an average of $49,984 per year.

Similarly, it is possible that your salary may vary depending on the setting in which you are offering your services. For example, the average salary for music therapists serving in a college setting was $60,340. The average for music therapists in the adult day care setting was quite lower: $43,632 per year.

Starting Salary

For music therapists who are just beginning, their actual salary may be lower. In 2008, the average salary for those who had one to five years of experience in the field ranged between $22,000 and $100,000, with the average salary as $39,912. This average salary was increased to an average of $42,780 for those with 6 to 10 years of experience.

Room for Advancement

If you take additional course work, participate in training programs or acquire higher degrees in music therapy, it is possible that your salary can greatly increase. The Certification Board for Music Therapists offers an exam, which, if passed, earns the individual the credential, Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC). In addition, according to the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University, music therapists may be required to take part in continual training in order to stay current with trends of the industry, as well as obtain new information to be put into use in their practice.

References

• American Music Therapy Association
• Music Therapy
• Music Therapist