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ANZSCO 2112Skill level 1Creative and media

Musician

Perform, compose, arrange or record music as a profession.

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What a musician actually does

There is no typical day. A working musician's year is built from many small income streams: live performance fees, session recording, music teaching, royalties (PPCA, APRA AMCOS), composition for film and ads, and the occasional one-off commission. A gigging week might run practice and rehearsal during the day, with sound check at 4pm and a set from 8pm to midnight on stage. A session week is studio appointments from morning to evening. A teaching week is back-to-back half-hour lessons at a school or private studio. Orchestral and ensemble musicians have the most stable schedule, with rehearsals during the day and concerts in the evening. Most contemporary musicians spend more time on the business of music (sending invoices, chasing bookings, posting on socials) than on playing the instrument. Income is highly variable; almost every working musician under 40 has at least one income source outside performance.

Typical tasks

  • Rehearse and perform live.
  • Record studio sessions.
  • Manage tours and royalty agreements.

Skills you'll use

  • Strong instrumental or vocal technique on a primary instrument
  • Sight-reading or charts depending on the genre
  • Ear training and the ability to learn a set quickly
  • Stagecraft and audience engagement
  • Home recording and DAW skills (Logic, Ableton, Pro Tools)
  • Music theory (essential for session, jazz and classical work)
  • Self-promotion through socials, EPK and streaming platforms
  • Booking, invoicing and superannuation as a sole trader

How to become one

  1. 1Reach a working standard on a primary instrument or voice before Year 12 (most pros have been playing 8-12+ years)
  2. 2Optional but standard route: complete a 3-year Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music) at a conservatorium such as Sydney Con, Melbourne Con, Elder Con, ANU School of Music, WAAPA or QCGU
  3. 3Alternative entry path is a TAFE Certificate III or Diploma of Music Industry plus self-directed practice and gigging
  4. 4Build a local performance profile in school years and at uni; treat every gig as part of an audition
  5. 5Take session and pit-band work to grow studio and reading skills
  6. 6Register works with APRA AMCOS as soon as you start performing originals
  7. 7Develop a second income source (teaching, music tech, audio) before you finish study, because the gig economy is patchy

Where you can work

  • State symphony orchestras and Opera Australia
  • State theatre companies' pit bands and musical-theatre pits
  • Live venues, festivals and corporate events
  • Recording studios (session work and own projects)
  • Schools and conservatoriums (peripatetic teaching)
  • Tertiary music programmes (sessional and full-time academic)
  • ABC Classic, Triple J Unearthed and community radio
  • Independent label or self-released artist
  • Composing for screen, theatre and games

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Emerging musician
    0-5 years
    Typical roles: Gigging instrumentalist, Session player, Casual peripatetic music teacher, Pit musician for community theatre
  2. Working musician
    5-10 years
    Typical roles: Touring band or ensemble member, Regular session player, Orchestral casual or fixed-contract player, Music teacher with a built studio, Composer for ads and short film
  3. Established artist
    10+ years
    Typical roles: Recording artist with label or independent release strategy, Principal player in a state orchestra, Touring international artist, Head of music at a school or conservatorium, Composer of film, TV or concert music

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You're already practising several hours a day on your instrument by Year 12
  • You can stitch together income from four or five different streams
  • You're comfortable with the financial uncertainty between contracts
  • You can take a hard musical note from a conductor or producer without losing it
  • You enjoy the business side as much as the playing

This might not suit you if

  • You want a stable salary and predictable schedule
  • You can't run yourself as a small business (tax, super, invoicing)
  • You hate being judged on every performance
  • You can't handle long stretches with little or no paid work
  • You expect music school alone to guarantee a career (it won't)

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for musician. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Not an apprenticeship trade.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.