Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners Salary: $45,320 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 5,730 musical instrument repairers and tuners work nationally, and $45,320 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 22% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 7.8% annual growth.
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners: what the data shows
Common questions about musical instrument repairers and tuners careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a musical instrument repairers and tuners?
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-9063.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 5,730 workers.
What does a musical instrument repairers and tuners do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a musical instrument repairers and tuners make?
BLS national median annual wage: $45,320 (May 2024 in our extract).
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,379 |
| 25th percentile | $39,815 |
| Median (50th) | $46,634 |
| 75th percentile | $53,525 |
| 90th percentile | $63,774 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Repairing, Troubleshooting, Quality Control Analysis, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, Fine Arts, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is musical instrument repairers and tuners in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 7.8% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 45.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 111.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 5,730.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do musical instrument repairers and tunerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 5,730 | 20.2% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 5,600 | 19.7% |
| Retail Trade | 3,670 | 12.9% |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers | 3,670 | 12.9% |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers | 3,610 | 12.7% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,060 | 3.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | 16,230 | $115,230 |
| Hearing Aid Specialists | 10,580 | $61,560 |
| Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other | 9,680 | $67,080 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners workforce.
Employment Over Time
5,730 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners grew from 500 in 2009 to 1,660 in 2025 (232.0%).
Historical employment for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$45,320 Median pay (BLS national)
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners earn $45,320 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Salary distribution for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Employment Growth Projections
7.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
2,415 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 45.5%
3,514 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 111.7%
This occupation is projected to grow at 7.8% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Wage Trends by Industry
-0.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 4.2% growth (Current: $52,437)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 600 employees, $47,650 avg wage
- TX: 550 employees, $52,260 avg wage
- IL: 410 employees, $57,440 avg wage
- TN: 350 employees, $55,710 avg wage
- PA: 350 employees, $40,510 avg wage
- GA: 260 employees, $34,510 avg wage
- IN: 260 employees, $42,640 avg wage
- NY: 260 employees, $56,390 avg wage
- MI: 240 employees, $55,950 avg wage
- OH: 180 employees, $50,120 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 320 employees, $59,730 avg wage
- Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN: 250 employees, $58,560 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 240 employees, $61,460 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 230 employees, $34,510 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 220 employees, $48,050 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 170 employees, $41,640 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 160 employees, $51,440 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 140 employees, $54,190 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 120 employees, $43,150 avg wage
- St. Louis, MO-IL: 90 employees, $44,410 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Diversity
Demographic information on Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners is about 5,730 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners workers.
Education level distribution for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Skills
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners need many skills, but most especially Repairing, Troubleshooting, Quality Control Analysis, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making.
Required skills for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners include Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, Fine Arts, English Language, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners include Hearing Sensitivity, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Finger Dexterity, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
Daily Activities
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.
Most important work activities for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners.
About
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners earn $45,320 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
49-9063 - Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners reports an average salary of $48,935.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 5,730 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 7.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.