The average wage for a musician in California is around $40.61 per hour.
Avg Wage
Musicians earn an average hourly wage of $40.61.
Salaries typically start from $14.54 per hour and go up to $98.75 per hour.
30% above national average Updated in 2021
Musician earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level musician earnings begin at:
$98.75 per hour
$205,400 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level musician earnings begin at:
$61.00 per hour
$126,880 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level musician earnings begin at:
$40.61 per hour
$84,469 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level musician earnings begin at:
$22.87 per hour
$47,570 per year
10th percentile
Starting level musician earnings begin at:
$14.54 per hour
$30,243 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Musician salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Ohio | $98,550 |
| Connecticut | $98,488 |
| Hawaii | $98,072 |
| Nevada | $86,174 |
| California | $84,469 |
| Arkansas | $84,136 |
| Virginia | $83,741 |
| Colorado | $82,472 |
| New Jersey | $82,472 |
| Washington | $81,037 |
| New York | $78,083 |
| Texas | $73,029 |
| Georgia | $72,758 |
| Wyoming | $62,587 |
| Illinois | $62,338 |
| Rhode Island | $62,338 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,362 |
| Oregon | $60,112 |
| District of Columbia | $51,126 |
| Wisconsin | $50,648 |
| Florida | $50,253 |
| Arizona | $49,608 |
| Indiana | $49,546 |
| Michigan | $48,942 |
| Massachusetts | $47,424 |
| Maine | $47,050 |
| Missouri | $46,883 |
| North Carolina | $45,136 |
| Iowa | $42,751 |
| Kentucky | $39,270 |
| South Carolina | $38,875 |
| Kansas | $38,813 |
| Tennessee | $38,376 |
| Nebraska | $38,126 |
| New Mexico | $36,982 |
| Utah | $36,338 |
| Oklahoma | $35,734 |
| Montana | $33,280 |
| Louisiana | $31,387 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,211 |
| Alabama | $24,003 |
| Maryland | $20,280 |
| Minnesota | $104,978 |
How do musician salaries compare to similar careers?
Musicians earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than casting directors but more than music therapists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Casting director salary | $107K |
| Talent agent salary | $99K |
| Singer salary | $84K |
| Music artist salary | $84K |
| Musician salary | $84K |
| Audio engineer salary | $63K |
| Music therapist salary | $79K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)