Singers

As with many occupations in the performing arts, earnings for singers are highly dependent on one's professional reputation and thus have a wide range. To some degree, pay is also related to educational background (as it relates to how well one has been trained) and geographic location of performances. In certain situations, such as singing for audio recordings, pay is dependent on the number of minutes of finished music (for instance, an hour's pay will be given for each three and a half minutes of recorded song).

Singing is often considered a glamorous occupation. However, because it attracts so many professionals, competition for positions is very high. Only a small proportion of those who aspire to be singers achieve glamorous jobs and extremely lucrative contracts. Famous opera singers, for example earn $8,000 and more for each performance. Singers in an opera chorus earn between $600 and $800 per week. The average opera soloist earns $1,100 or more a performance, according to The National Association for Music Education. Classical soloists can receive between $2,000 and $3,000 per performance, while choristers may receive around $70 per performance. For rock singers, earnings can be far higher. Within the overall group of professional singers, studio and opera singers tend to earn salaries that are well respected in the industry; their opportunities for steady, long-term contracts tend to be better than for singers in other areas.

The average hourly wage for singers and musicians with salaried positions was $39.14 in May 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. This wage would amount to $81,411 for a full-time job for a year; however there is a wide variation in the number of hours worked per year by most singers and musicians, and the U.S. Department of Labor reports that it is rare to have a job that exceeds three to six months. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $16.02 an hour (or $33,322 annually), while the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $102.98 an hour (or $214,198 annually).

Top studio and opera singers earn an average of $70,000 per year, though some earn much more. Rock singers may begin by playing for drinks and meals only; if successful, they may earn tens of thousands of dollars for a single performance. Singers on cruise ships generally earn between $750 and $2,000 per week, although these figures can vary considerably. Also, many singers supplement their performance earnings by working at other positions, such as teaching at schools or giving private lessons or even working at jobs unrelated to singing. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that salaries in May 2023 for full-time, postsecondary art, drama, and music teachers ranged from $47,570 to $178,670, with a median annual salary of $80,360.

Singers generally receive no fringe benefits, and must provide their own health insurance and retirement planning.