Music Therapists

The American Music Therapy Association predicts a promising future for the field of music therapy, and the U.S. Department of Labor forecasts that employment of recreational therapists will grow 4 percent from 2023 through 2033, as fast as the average for all occupations. Demand for music therapists will increase as medical professionals and the general public become aware of the benefits gained through music therapy. Although enrollment in college music therapy programs is increasing, new graduates are usually able to find jobs. In cases where an individual is unable to find a full-time position, a therapist might obtain service contracts for part-time work at several facilities.

Job openings in facilities such as nursing homes should continue to increase as the elderly population grows over the next few decades. Advances in medical technology and the recent practice of early discharge from hospitals should also create new opportunities in managed care facilities, chronic pain clinics, cancer care facilities, and hospices. The demand for music therapists should continue to increase as more people become aware of the need to help disabled and ill patients in creative ways. Opportunities are also emerging for music therapists who specialize in neurologic music therapy and music therapy with premature infants in neonatal intensive care units.