Music Technology Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Music Technology maps to BLS occupations averaging about $111,064, with roughly 375,840 workers nationwide in those roles. About 1,022 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median in-state published tuition is about $8,845.
Key Statistics
Music Technology: what the data shows
Common questions about music technology degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a music technology degree?
A Music Technology program is classified under NCES CIP 50.0913 in the Music field family (50.09).
A program that focuses on the creative aspects of the blending of music and technology; and that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to the composition, recording, synthesis, and performance of music; audio-visual production; scoring for film and multimedia; and software and multimedia development. Includes instruction in music theory, music history, composition, acoustics, recording technology, computer composition, electronic music synthesis, technology-based performance, 3D sound and spatial audio, and music business and law
IPEDS counted 1,022 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of music technology degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 50.09 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Brass Instruments (CIP 50.0914)
- Conducting (CIP 50.0906)
- Jazz/Jazz Studies (CIP 50.0910)
- Keyboard Instruments (CIP 50.0907)
- Music History, Literature, and Theory (CIP 50.0902)
- Music Pedagogy (CIP 50.0912)
- Music Performance, General (CIP 50.0903)
- Music Theory and Composition (CIP 50.0904)
- Music, General (CIP 50.0901)
- Musicology and Ethnomusicology (CIP 50.0905)
- Percussion Instruments (CIP 50.0916)
- Sound Arts (CIP 50.0917)
- Stringed Instruments (CIP 50.0911)
- Voice and Opera (CIP 50.0908)
- Woodwind Instruments (CIP 50.0915)
How long does it take to get a music technology degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 50.0913 in our file:
- 526 Associate (31.2% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 1,022 Bachelor's (60.7% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 137 Master's (8.1% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 50.0913, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a music technology degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Music Technology to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 97,890 | $80,190 |
| Music Directors and Composers | 12,330 | $63,670 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 43,640 | $39,270 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 53,520 | $60,800 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a music technology degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Music bachelor's program family: median debt $41,145, median earnings $42,892 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.58.
About 5.0% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $8,845 and median net price is $17,043.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Music Technology and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$8,845 Median In-State Public
$40,150 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Music Technology majors are, on average, $8,845 for in-state public colleges, and $40,150 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Music Technology programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Music Technology from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Music Technology.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
| 2 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 3 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 4 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 5 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Music Technology programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 2 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 3 | Compton College | CA | $1,142 |
| 4 | El Camino Community College District | CA | $1,144 |
| 5 | El Camino Community College District | CA | $1,144 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Music Technology programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 3 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 4 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 5 | Henry Ford College | MI | $660 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Music Technology programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Music Technology programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Music Technology is in FL (286 completions). That state represents about 28.0% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is TN (0.18% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| FL | 286 | 28.0% | 0.12% |
| CA | 163 | 15.9% | 0.04% |
| TN | 137 | 13.4% | 0.18% |
| PA | 79 | 7.7% | 0.05% |
| NJ | 69 | 6.8% | 0.08% |
| CT | 35 | 3.4% | 0.07% |
| OK | 31 | 3.0% | 0.07% |
| VA | 25 | 2.5% | 0.02% |
| NY | 22 | 2.1% | 0.01% |
| IL | 20 | 2.0% | 0.01% |
| OH | 20 | 2.0% | 0.01% |
| IN | 18 | 1.8% | 0.02% |
| MD | 17 | 1.7% | 0.02% |
| MI | 14 | 1.4% | 0.01% |
| NC | 13 | 1.3% | 0.01% |
| LA | 11 | 1.1% | 0.02% |
| AL | 9 | 0.9% | 0.01% |
| MA | 9 | 0.9% | 0.01% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 50.09 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Brass Instruments CIP 50.0914
- Conducting CIP 50.0906
- Jazz/Jazz Studies CIP 50.0910
- Keyboard Instruments CIP 50.0907
- Music History, Literature, and Theory CIP 50.0902
- Music Pedagogy CIP 50.0912
- Music Performance, General CIP 50.0903
- Music Theory and Composition CIP 50.0904
- Music, General CIP 50.0901
- Musicology and Ethnomusicology CIP 50.0905
- Percussion Instruments CIP 50.0916
- Sound Arts CIP 50.0917
- Stringed Instruments CIP 50.0911
- Voice and Opera CIP 50.0908
- Woodwind Instruments CIP 50.0915
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 50.0913 in the survey year used in our extract (1,685 total across levels below).
- 526 Associate (31.2% of IPEDS total)
- 1,022 Bachelor's (60.7% of IPEDS total)
- 137 Master's (8.1% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $111,064. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Music Technology graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $130,318 | 97,890 |
| Music Directors and Composers | $101,136 | 12,330 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $88,062 | 136,390 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $188,333 | 75,710 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $53,312 | 43,640 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $74,538 | 53,520 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Music CIP family (55 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Music Technology graduate.
- $41,145 median federal loan debt among completers
- $42,892 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.58 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 5.0% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$117,770 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Music Technology majors is $117,770.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Music Technology majors.
Occupations by Share
375,840 2023 Workforce
The number of Music Technology graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Music Technology by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Music Technology in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Music Technology.
Age distribution for Music Technology degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
1,022 Total Degrees Awarded
805 Male (78.77%)
217 Female (21.23%)
Gender distribution of Music Technology degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
563 White (55.09%)
149 Black or African American (14.58%)
148 Hispanic or Latino (14.48%)
53 Two or More Races (5.19%)
29 Asian (2.84%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Music Technology degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Music Technology are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Music Technology.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Music Technology field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Music Technology majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Music Technology majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Music Technology majors.
About
A program that focuses on the creative aspects of the blending of music and technology; and that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to the composition, recording, synthesis, and performance of music; audio-visual production; scoring for film and multimedia; and software and multimedia development. Includes instruction in music theory, music history, composition, acoustics, recording technology, computer composition, electronic music synthesis, technology-based performance, 3D sound and spatial audio, and music business and law
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Music Technology.
CIP Code
50.0913 - Music Technology
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $41,145 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $42,892, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.58. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Music Technology graduate.
Men earned 24.9% of 1,938 Music Technology completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $111,064. The largest mapped role by headcount is Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary (97,890 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $8,845 in-state at public colleges and $40,150 at private institutions for programs in this field.
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 U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.