Salary of a Music Recording Artist
The life of a professional musician can be very difficult, but those that can earn income through music recordings generally make a good salary. Music recording artists do have to search hard to find work, especially outside of New York or California, but the growth of recording technologies has made earning money from self-publishing much easier.
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Average Salary
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average hourly salary for musicians and singers working in America was $30.22 per hour as of May 2010. Annually, this works out to a full-time salary of $62,857. Recording artists employed by a recording label to produce an album typically receive their payment as an advance from the label before the record is produced.
Employment
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According to federal statistics, 43,350 musicians and singers were employed in America during 2010. States with the highest levels of employment for music recording artists include New York, 8,230 jobs in 2010, California, 7,410 jobs, and Florida, 2,840 jobs. The nature of the work varies widely, as recording musicians will often also perform live concerts, sometimes they tour, or record music for use in television or film.
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Independent Artists
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Employment statistics released by the BLS indicate that about half of all music recording artists working in America during 2008 were independent musicians that didn't draw a salary from a recording label. The independent music recording has grown, as the cost for recording software has dropped significantly. Independent music recording artists have also benefited from the digital distribution of music, which is much more cost effective than creating CD albums. Music industry projections published by digital technology magazine "Wired" indicate that digital music sales will make up almost half of the music industry's projected $9.1 billion in sales during 2012.
Job Outlook
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Federal statistics indicate that jobs for music recording artists in America will increase by 8 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is about as fast as the average job growth for all occupations. Competition for jobs is expected to be keen, with the best opportunities available for freelance recording artists or musicians looking for work with community-based groups. Music recording artists who can play multiple instruments will experience good job prospects.
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References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment Statistics: Musicians and Singers
- TechDirt: RIAA Accounting: Why Even Major Label Musicians Rarely Make Money From Album Sales; Mike Masnick; July 2010
- Wired: David Byrne's Survival Strategies for Emerging Artists - and Megastars; David Byrne; Dec. 2007
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers
- Photo Credit Digital Vision/Digital Vision/Getty Images
