Music Educator Starting Salary

Self-enrichment music teachers provide one-on-one instruction to aspiring musicians.

Music educators work in a variety of settings. Some work in elementary or secondary school systems, while others obtain a master's degree or doctorate and go on to teach at the college level. Some music instructors teach outside of the school system as self-enrichment educators who provide lessons to those who may wish to go on an pursue a career in musical performance. Starting salaries for these educators vary by employer and location.

School Teachers

Starting salaries for school teachers who teach music are generally based on the degree held by the teacher and the teacher's experience level. Since most teachers enter the field with little to no teaching experience, most generally start at the bottom of the pay scale. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that high school teachers earned a median salary of $53,230 per year in 2010. Those in the lower 25 percent of the pay scale made $42,670 per year or less. The lowest 10 percent earned $35,020 or less. The bureau indicates that starting salary ranges for middle school and elementary school teachers varied only slightly.

Self-Enrichment Teachers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a separate category for self-enrichment teachers and includes some music teachers within this broad category as well. Although salaries in this field are not generally based on a predetermined pay scale, the lower 50 percent of the pay scale generally represents a reliable guide for starting salary range since many self-enrichment teachers are self-employed and have built clientele over a considerable period of time. According to the bureau, the median salary in this field was $36,340 per year, while the lower 25 percent earned $25,580 or less and the lowest 10 percent made less than $18,790 per year.

College

Educators at the post-secondary level tend to make more than self-enrichment and school teachers. However, starting salary ranges for college professors are not necessarily that much higher than the salaries earned by other music teachers. Art, drama and music professors earned a median salary of $62,040 per year in 2010. The lower 25 percent of those teaching in this field made $45,010 per year or less. At the bottom of the pay scale were those who made $33,170.

Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects positive job growth for teachers at all levels through 2018. The number of job opportunities for school teachers will be the lowest, but slow and steady and growth is still expected to occur at a rate of 13 percent in terms of new jobs created between 2008 and 2018. College professors can expect to see slightly better numbers at a growth rate of 15 percent, while self-enrichment teachers will see a much faster than average rate of growth at 32 percent.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Self-Enrichment Education Teachers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Teachers---Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle and Secondary
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education