Also called: Music Producer, Beatmaker
Shapes a song or album's sound, guiding the artist, arrangement, and recording.
A producer might build a beat in the morning, coach a singer through a vocal take in the afternoon, and rework a chorus with songwriters at night.
Extremely variable. Most producers earn modest incomes from many small projects; hitmakers earn millions in fees and royalties.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. Often self-taught; music production programs help.
Ways in: Self-taught, 4-year college, 2-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Music Production, Music Technology, Music Business.
Growing about average. Huge competition, but demand for music content stays high.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI tools write beats and arrangements, crowding the low end; guiding an artist's sound and session in person stays human.
Classes: Music theory, Music (band or choir), Audio or music technology, Business.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2041.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.