jobfacts

Musician

Musicians — SOC 2020 3415

Musicians write, arrange, orchestrate, conduct and perform musical compositions.

Also calledClassical musicianPop musicianInstrumentalistComposerOrganistOrchestra leaderand 37 more titles
Typical full-time pay£46,6002025 Provisional
People in the job54,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month132↓ 18%on last year · 377th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time musicians earn, 2025
£46,600 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£46,600
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
More than half (83%) of musicians work for themselves. These pay figures only cover employees, so they may not reflect what self-employed musicians earn.
Typical pay by regionUK median £46,600
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
Show as table
UK median, £46,600
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 2 years
  • 2023 £40,500
  • 2025 Provisional£46,600
↑ 15% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 132 jobs for musicians are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (2 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026Not published
Jul 2026116
Jun 2026129
May 2026139
Apr 2026131
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026132
Jan 2026152
Dec 202565
Nov 2025121
Oct 2025159
Sept 2025175
Aug 2025175
Jul 2025157
Jun 2025200
May 2025216
Apr 2025149
Mar 2025195
Feb 2025171
Jan 2025148
Dec 2024110
Nov 2024136
Oct 2024168
Sept 2024156
Aug 2024150
Jul 2024156
Jun 2024183
May 2024200
Apr 2024153
Mar 2024167
Feb 2024162
Jan 2024191
Dec 2023136
Nov 2023109
Oct 2023110
Sept 2023120
Aug 2023131
Jul 2023134
Jun 2023219
May 2023277
Apr 2023214
Mar 2023205
Feb 2023224
Jan 2023234
Dec 2022156
Nov 2022183
Oct 2022222
Sept 2022196
Aug 2022174
Jul 2022207
Jun 2022211
May 2022257
Apr 2022196
Mar 2022217
Feb 2022207
Jan 2022196
Dec 2021178
Nov 2021203
Oct 2021215
Sept 2021182
Aug 2021169
Jul 2021201
Jun 2021187
May 2021233
Apr 2021214
Mar 2021228
Feb 2021179
Jan 2021179
Dec 2020148
Nov 2020158
Oct 2020213
Sept 2020216
Aug 2020228
Jul 2020265
Jun 2020248
May 2020263
Apr 2020179
Mar 2020241
Feb 2020273
Jan 2020333
Dec 2019214
Nov 2019272
Oct 2019224
Sept 2019188
Aug 2019161
Jul 2019215
Jun 2019215
May 2019350
Apr 2019150
Mar 2019198
Feb 2019185
Jan 2019248
Dec 2018103
Nov 2018228
Oct 2018246
Sept 2018126
Aug 2018167
Jul 2018128
Jun 2018255
May 2018185
Apr 2018256
Mar 2018269
Feb 2018259
Jan 2018222
Dec 2017160
Nov 2017230
Oct 2017208
Sept 2017208
Aug 2017204
Jul 2017149
Jun 2017175
May 2017187
Apr 2017183
Mar 2017201
Feb 2017184
Jan 2017222
Is there a shortage of musicians?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: online job advert density, hours and earnings due to proportion of self employed workers.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
20%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for culture, media and sports occupations, which includes musicians. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London99
Glasgow City11
Dorset10
City of Edinburgh9
Leeds7
Birmingham6
Manchester6
Nottingham6
Bristol, City of5
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole5
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where musicians are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 1,528 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from India, Nigeria, Pakistan, ranking it 10th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of musicians
4.6%!
27%!
22%!
19%!
14%!
13%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–244.6% (small sample)
25–3427% (small sample)
35–4422% (small sample)
45–5419% (small sample)
55–6414% (small sample)
65+13% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent72%
Higher education below degree!3.5%
A levels or equivalent!12%
GCSEs or equivalent!9.4%
Other qualifications!3.6%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent72%
Higher education below degree3.5% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent12% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent9.4% (small sample)
Other qualifications3.6% (small sample)

Main employers: performing arts (53%), artistic creation (14%), other amusement and recreation activities (7.9%), technical and vocational secondary education (3.1%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
72%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work
Self-employed
83%
of people in the job

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

Whatever your musical genre, you'll need a high level of musical skill and talent. Although you do not need a degree for all forms of music, in some fields it is expected, for example classical music.

You could study for a degree or postgraduate award in:

  • classical music
  • music composition
  • music performance
  • popular music
  • popular and commercial music

You could do this at a university or a conservatoire. You'll usually specialise in one main instrument and study a second instrument.

Some music degrees focus more on music theory than performance, so research courses carefully to make sure they're right for you.

At audition, you'll usually be asked to perform several pieces of music of different styles. You'll also need to talk at interview about your artistic influences and your musical career aims.

You can take a subject spotlight on UCAS website to find out more about what it's like to study music.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or 3 A levels including music, or equivalent qualifications
  • grade 8 in your main instrument
  • to pass an audition
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

College

You could take a college course to get professional training and the opportunity to perform.

Subjects available include:

  • practical music
  • music technology
  • music performance and production

You may need to pass an audition to get on to some courses.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Other routes

Many musicians teach themselves. Some start learning an instrument from an early age. This might be with a private music teacher or training provider.

You can take graded music exams in lots of types of music, including:

  • woodwind
  • strings
  • percussion
  • piano
  • vocals

Find out more about graded music exams from:

  • the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
  • Rockschool
More about this route
Armed forces careers

There are opportunities to train as a musician in the armed forces.

Find out more from the:

  • Army
  • Royal Air Force
  • Royal Navy

Other ways in

Volunteering

You can enter talent competitions, music festivals and events to get yourself known.

The BBC also runs an annual competition for 12 to 18 year olds across the UK who create their own original music.

Apply directly

You may be lucky and get talent spotted. You could increase your chances by showcasing your music on:

  • networking websites
  • social media
  • music blogs
  • demo tracks to send to recording companies

The Musicians' Union has more details on how to promote yourself.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Get as much experience as you can of performing in public.

You could do this by

  • joining a youth or community orchestra
  • staging your own events
  • entering competitions

The BBC Introducing programme could be another way to get your music heard on the radio, if you're an unsigned musician.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Musicians' Union or the Independent Society of Musicians to access training, events and networking opportunities.

Further information

You can get more advice about working in music from the Independent Society of Musicians.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for musician. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • conceives and writes original music
  • tunes instrument and studies and rehearses score
  • plays instrument as a soloist or as a member of a group or orchestra
  • scores music for different combinations of voices and instruments to produce desired effect
  • auditions and selects performers and rehearses and conducts them in the performance of the composition

Skills

  • read musical score
  • study music
  • write musical scores
  • record music
  • create musical forms
  • develop musical ideas
  • evaluate musical ideas
  • participate in music studio recordings
  • play musical instruments
  • rewrite musical scores
  • transcribe ideas into musical notation
  • transpose music
  • complete final musical scores
  • manage artistic career

Knowledge

  • musical theory
  • music literature
  • musical genres
  • musical instruments
  • film music techniques

Suits people who like

  • Creating and designing
  • Leading and persuading

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for culture, media and sports occupations, a group of 13 jobs that includes musicians.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 10%about 79,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035442,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

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