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Music Therapy

A program that prepares individuals, in association with a rehabilitation team or in private practice, to use music in therapeutic relationships to address the physical, psychological, cognitive, emotional, and social needs of clients. Includes instruction in music theory and performance, human growth and development, biomedical sciences, abnormal psychology, disabling conditions, patient assessment and diagnosis, treatment plan development and implementation, clinical evaluation, record-keeping, and professional standards and ethics.

Types of Degrees Music Therapy Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Music Therapy have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	455
Master’s Degree	195
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Music Therapy Majors Need to Know

Studies in Music Therapy develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Music Therapy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Music Therapy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Psychology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Fine Arts — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Music Therapy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Music Therapy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Music Therapy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.8 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.6 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Music Therapy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Electronic health record EHR software	Medical software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Avid Technology Pro Tools	Music or sound editing software	—
Virtual instrument software	Music or sound editing software	—
Musical instrument digital interface MIDI software	Music or sound editing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Music Therapy graduates include:

• Therapist
• Music Art Therapist
• Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC)
• Activity Therapist
• LCAT (Licensed Creative Arts Therapist)
• Music Therapist
• Hospice Music Therapist
• Community Music Therapist
• Music Rehabilitation Therapist
• Music Dance Therapist
• Home Care Music Therapist
• Expressive Music Therapist
• Creative Music Therapist
• Neurologic Music Therapist
• Music Therapy Specialist

What Can You Do With a Music Therapy Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Music Therapy commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Music Therapists	4.9%	$71,670	$59,577–$83,764
Therapists, All Other	-2.9%	$121,750	$95,414–$148,085
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022
Art Therapists	1.6%	$40,748	$32,327–$49,169

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Music Therapy graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	47.4%
Master’s degree	31.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.0%
Doctoral degree	6.2%
Post-doctoral training	5.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.9%
Postsecondary certificate	0.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Music Therapy?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 87.7% of Music Therapy degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	571	87.7%
Men	80	12.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Music Therapy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	461	70.8%
Asian	32	4.9%
Hispanic or Latino	58	8.9%
Black or African American	28	4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.3%
Two or More Races	22	3.4%
Race Unknown	19	2.9%
International Students	26	4.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Music Therapy Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Music Therapy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,332
4 years	$70,102
5 years	$75,167

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $75,167 — roughly 12% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Music Therapy Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Music Therapy. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Music Therapy Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Music Therapy graduates earn a median of $70,102 four years after completion — roughly 84% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	29,603
Physical Therapy/Therapist	13,424
Occupational Therapy/Therapist	10,460
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Rehabilitation Science	1,107
Art Therapy/Therapist	768
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	722
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other	621
Orthotist/Prosthetist	408
Advanced General Dentistry	238
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Other	150
Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist	121

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.