We surveyed 8,666 musicians to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical musician. Here are the results.
How much intelligence is required as a musician?
Low
High
Working as a musician typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.
Can I learn to become a musician?
Intrinsic Talent
Acquired Talent
A career as a musician typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.
Is it easy to get a job as a musician?
Easy
Hard
It’s typically quite difficult to find a job as a musician. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for musicians.
Do musicians work full-time or part-time?
27% of musicians work in full-time roles while 73% work part-time.
Is being a musician stressful?
Low
High
Stress is very commonplace for musicians, contributing negatively towards career satisfaction.
Is being organized important as a musician?
Low
High
Some level of organization is generally required to be a musician.
How competitive is the workplace for musicians?
Low
High
Musicians tend to see lots of competition in the workplace, with desire to get ahead of co-workers being common.
Does being a musician require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?
Low
High
Musicians will have to sometimes face time pressure on the job.
Are musicians allowed to express themselves creatively?
Low
High
Creativity is intrinsic to being a musician, and a highly valuable part of the career.
Do musicians have control over the direction of their work?
Low
High
Musicians have high flexibility in the direction of their work, allowing them a lot of freedom in how they accomplish their goals.
Is being a musician physically demanding?
Low
High
Being a musician may occasionally require demanding physical activity, which may make it not a suitable career choice for everyone.
Are musicians exposed to a wide variety of work?
Low
High
The workload of a musician changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.
Does being a musician require attention to detail?
Low
High
As in many careers, attention to detail is quite helpful for musicians.
Does being a good musician require compassion and empathy?
Low
High
Being compassionate and empathetic is considered helpful to those looking to pursue careers as musicians.