Also called: Studio Musician, Sideman
Plays instruments on other artists' recordings, film scores, and commercials.
A session player gets a chart, hears a song once or twice, and nails a guitar part in a few takes. Some days it's a country album in Nashville, others a movie score in LA.
BLS musicians median is about $42/hour, but work is part-time for most. AFM union scale for recording sessions is roughly $400+ per 3-hour session.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Many have music degrees; sight-reading and versatility are essential.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Music Performance, Jazz Studies, Commercial Music.
Growing slowly (about 1% over 10 years). BLS projects 1% growth for musicians and singers.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI-generated instrument parts and sample libraries replace many ad and demo sessions; live and top-tier recording still hire players.
Classes: Music (band, orchestra or jazz), Music theory, AP Music Theory, Piano or guitar lessons.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2042.
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.