Music teachers earn a wide range of salaries based on their level of expertise, geographic location, whether they work full- or part-time, and other factors. According to PayScale.com, music teachers (no school grade level specified) employed in the U.S. in January 2025 earned a median salary of $50,098. Earnings ranged from $32,000 to $79,000.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reported that full-time elementary school teachers earned median annual salaries of $63,680 in May 2023. The top paid 10 percent earned more than $104,440 and the lowest paid 10 percent made less than $46,960. Secondary school teachers had similar salaries that ranged from less than $48,040 for the lowest paid 10 percent to more than $106,380 for the top 10 percent. The median annual salary for secondary school teachers was $65,220 in May 2023.
College professors' earnings vary depending on their academic department, the size of the school, the type of school (e.g., public, private, women's only), and the level of position the professor holds. The DOL reports that college music, art, and drama teachers earned median annual salaries of $80,360 in May 2023. The lowest paid 10 percent of teachers in this group earned less than $47,570, and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $178,670 annually. Postsecondary music teachers in New York, California, Missouri, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. earned the highest salaries.
Music teachers employed by school districts usually receive benefits such as vacation days, sick leave, health and life insurance, and a savings and pension program. Self-employed teachers must provide their own benefits.
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