Musician

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

Jobs, demand and who does this work

Figures for the ANZSCO occupation Musician (211213), the closest official match for musician, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).

People employed: 4,900
Future demand: Moderate
Work full-time: 30%
Average full-time hours: 44 a week
Women: 29%
Median age: 39

Where the jobs are (share of workers)

NSW	30.7%
VIC	23.1%
QLD	19.7%
WA	11.9%
SA	7.6%
TAS	3.8%
ACT	2.6%
NT	0.9%

Highest qualification held by workers

Postgraduate qualification	16%
Bachelor degree	35%
Diploma or advanced diploma	10.6%
Certificate I-IV	6.7%
Year 12	21.7%
Below Year 12	7%

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

1Reach a working standard on a primary instrument or voice before Year 12 (most pros have been playing 8-12+ years)
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
3Alternative entry path is a TAFE Certificate III in Music or Diploma of Music plus self-directed practice and gigging
4Build a local performance profile in school years and at uni; treat every gig as part of an audition
5Take session and pit-band work to grow studio and reading skills
6Register works with APRA AMCOS as soon as you start performing originals
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 roles. Years of experience are a rough guide; pay at each stage depends on the employer, award or agreement.

Emerging musician
0-5 years
Typical roles: Gigging instrumentalist, Session player, Casual peripatetic music teacher, Pit musician for community theatre
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
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?

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)

Ways in

Uni and TAFE routes for musician. 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.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Your Career (yourcareer.gov.au) directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.