Musician salary
From 26 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 27-2042: Musicians and Singers
At a glance
- Median up 1% since FY2024. From $82,160 in FY2024 to $82,618 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Musician H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 26 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Musician jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 27-2042, Musicians and Singers). The median base salary is $73,715, 40% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $53,265 and $93,600.
Is your Musician offer competitive?
Enter the base salary in your offer. We compare it with certified H-1B filings for Musician jobs, nationally or in one metro area.
Enter a salary to see where it falls.
Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 100% of filings
Mid-level · 0% of filings
Senior · 0% of filings
Expert · 0% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $53,000 | 13 |
| Level II · Qualified | – | 0 |
| Level III · Experienced | – | 0 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
What a Musician does
Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording.
Typical tasks
- Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings.
- Practice performances, individually or in rehearsal with other musicians, to master individual pieces of music or to maintain and improve skills.
- Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.
- Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands.
- Provide the musical background for live shows, such as ballets, operas, musical theatre, and cabarets.
- Play from memory or by following scores.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Musicians and Singers (27-2042.00). This section 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.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $45,214 |
| 25th | $53,265 |
| 50th (median) | $73,715 |
| 75th | $93,600 |
| 90th | $132,486 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 2 |
| FY2022 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2023 | – | – | – | 5 |
| FY2024 | $82,160 | $59,280 | $90,220 | 10 |
| FY2025 | $64,165 | $47,585 | $93,600 | 14 |
| FY2026 | $82,618 | $55,292 | $96,200 | 12 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Musician make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Musician jobs is $73,715 (26 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $53,265 and $93,600.
What does an entry-level Musician earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $53,000. Level I accounts for 100% of Musician filings.