Music Therapists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$77,930
United States, 2025
Employment
22,640
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Plan, organize, direct, or assess clinical and evidenced-based music therapy interventions to positively influence individuals' physical, psychological, cognitive, or behavioral status.
- O*NET code
- 29-1129.02
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
Typical tasks
- Confer with professionals on client's treatment team to develop, coordinate, or integrate treatment plans.
- Design or provide music therapy experiences to address client needs, such as using music for self-care, adjusting to life changes, improving cognitive functioning, raising self-esteem, communicating, or controlling impulses.
- Design music therapy experiences, using various musical elements to meet client's goals or objectives.
- Sing or play musical instruments, such as keyboard, guitar, or percussion instruments.
- Communicate with clients to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect upon their reactions to musical experiences.
- Customize treatment programs for specific areas of music therapy, such as intellectual or developmental disabilities, educational settings, geriatrics, medical settings, mental health, physical disabilities, or wellness.
- Establish client goals or objectives for music therapy treatment, considering client needs, capabilities, interests, overall therapeutic program, coordination of treatment, or length of treatment.
- Document evaluations, treatment plans, case summaries, or progress or other reports related to individual clients or client groups.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$46,540
25th percentile
$58,850
75th percentile
$105,760
90th percentile
$152,530
Most important skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.3
- Active Listening4.1
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Service Orientation4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Learning Strategies3.8
- Monitoring3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Active Learning3.3
- Coordination3.3
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 18 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
18
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.3 | 4.5 | Not selected | 4.5 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 4.0 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 4.0 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.3 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Instructing | 3.3 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Persuasion | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Negotiation | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $265,930
Compare with Music TherapistsSupplemental
National median $60,280
Compare with Music TherapistsSupplemental
National median $48,430
Compare with Music TherapistsSupplemental
National median $78,620
Compare with Music TherapistsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $157,510 | — | 2025 |
| DC | $127,010 | 80 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $122,120 | 100 | 2025 |
| IL | $116,200 | 1,060 | 2025 |
| Lexington, KY | $112,070 | 80 | 2025 |
| Atlantic City, NJ | $108,650 | 100 | 2025 |
| Albany, NY | $104,470 | 40 | 2025 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $101,920 | 70 | 2025 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $100,390 | 130 | 2025 |
| NJ | $100,250 | 7,090 | 2025 |
| HI | $99,560 | 40 | 2025 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $99,180 | 30 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $98,550 | — | 2025 |
| WA | $98,550 | — | 2025 |
| Jonesboro, AR | $97,190 | 50 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $96,820 | — | 2025 |
| Akron, OH | $91,080 | 40 | 2025 |
| SC | $90,980 | 70 | 2025 |
| Columbus, OH | $90,720 | 100 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $90,130 | 90 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Music Therapists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.