What Does a Music Therapist Get Paid?
- Music therapists plan and direct music programs as part of patient treatment. These medically approved programs are designed to help patients deal with trauma, pain and stress. Music provides relaxation and allows patients to express their feelings in a way they might not be able to otherwise. Patients of music therapists include those with psychiatric disorders, physical illness and disabilities, substance abuse, communication disorders and interpersonal and emotional problems. These therapists work in a variety of settings including hospitals, psychiatric facilities, schools, community centers and correctional institutions. They may have a private practice and see clients there or contract their services to other agencies.
- To become a music therapist, you'll need to acquire a bachelor's degree in music therapy or an equivalent degree. You also must complete an approved supervised internship of about 1,040 clinical hours, explains the Boyer College of Music and Dance website. Then you become certified by passing a national examination given by the Certification Board for Music Therapists. Average starting hourly pay for music therapists ranges from $14.60 to $23.75, as reported by the PayScale salary survey website. From its surveys of music therapists, the site reports that salaries generally do not increase much until the therapist has five to nine years of experience. At that level, a music therapist can expect to get paid $16 to $30 per hour, or about $33,300 to $62,400 per year, as of 2010.
- Average annual salaries for music therapists, as of 2010, range from $46,000 to $53,000, as noted by the Boyer College of Music and Dance. Those working in government agencies and in schools tend to earn more than therapists employed elsewhere. Supervisors, program administrators and college professors typically make more money than those focusing on clinical work. Salary also depends on experience, the size of the program and the number of staff members a therapist supervises.
- Real-life examples of salaries for open positions in 2010 include one at a mental health institute in Virginia with a starting salary at $36,000, and one at a hospice in Ohio with a range of $36,000 to $51,000. Others simply state that the salary is competitive. These jobs were listed at the Wisconsin Chapter for Music Therapy website. Additional job titles on this website include rehabilitation therapist and creative therapist, both requiring a bachelor of science in music therapy. Some positions involve travel within a 40-mile radius. Part-time positions also are available.
