Teaching music is an exciting career, as it is one of the ways to make a living as a music lover. Many people want to get into it but are skeptical about its profitability. Also, some believe teaching music can only be good enough as a hobby but cannot pay bills; this is not true.
Teaching music majorly deals with teaching the element of music and its application. It may also involve tutoring the rudiments of music and how to play an instrument. Nowadays, a music teacher no longer has to scour the streets searching for a job. Some job websites like Jooble collate available music jobs and put the information online so that you can apply and start working right from the comfort of your home. Music teachers can also get employed in schools, music academies, and private institutions.
To enlighten you more, we have teamed up with high-earning music teachers from job aggregator Jooble to discuss how much you can earn as a music teacher. We will also discuss the factors influencing a music teacher’s earnings and how to earn extra income.
How Much Does a Music Teacher Earn?
A music teacher’s salary is not very different from that of other teachers. If a teacher is teaching music in a school, they are likely placed on the same pay grade as other teachers. However, there are other places where music teachers work. Due to the availability of other working platforms, the income of a music teacher cannot be judged by a school’s pay.
Averagely, music teachers earn between $18 to $34 per hour in the US. The average yearly pay is $40,000. Some teachers make up to $65,000. In addition, some factors can affect how much you can make as a music teacher. These factors include:
- Student’s Age
One of the factors that can affect your income as a music teacher is the age of the students you teach. For instance, teaching children can be more stressful, so children’s music teachers tend to charge more. Also, there are more children learning music, which will make it easy for you to get clients if you teach them. This will, in turn, allow you to set your rate without the fear of not getting clients.
- Location
Another factor that can affect your income as a music teacher is your location. Teachers charge differently from one place to another. For example, music teachers in Houston earn less than $30 per hour on average, while teaching music in New York can earn you as much as $34.
- Music Type
The genre of music you teach can also determine how much you can earn. Music types range from pop, afro, western music, and classical music, as well as cultural music. In America, teaching western music can pay you more than cultural music because more people are learning western music.
- Employment Type
Where you are employed can also play a great part in your income as a music teacher. For instance, you are likely to earn more as a self-employed music teacher than you earn working for someone. On the other hand, you cannot be so sure that your music school will allow you to make more, as business may be slow sometimes.
- Qualification
Qualification is one of the factors that you can use to argue for better pay. You do not necessarily need many academic qualifications to become a music teacher. However, you are more likely to get a job easier if you have the necessary qualifications. Also, you can earn more with better qualifications. You are more likely to attract high-paying clients as a private music tutor if you are better certified.
Other Things You Can Do to Earn More as a Music Teacher
Apart from teaching music and earning a basic salary, there are other things that you can do to earn extra income without diverting too far away from your original job. These things include:
- Creation and selling of music notes and materials.
- Private music tutoring can work well for people who teach in a school and other organizations they do not own.
- Selling musical equipment.
- Writing an ebook on music.
- Offer music transcription services to people.
- Open a Youtube channel.
- Start a music-related blog.
- Write, record, and sell songs.
- You can also become a test scorer or a performance grader.
Conclusion
Teaching music is relaxing and pays well at the same time. Before taking up the career of a music teacher, you should know that you can earn more or less, depending on some factors. However, you will likely make over $40,000 teaching music in the US. There are also things you can do to supplement your salary and generate extra income.