Also called: Lyricist, Topliner
Writes the melodies and lyrics of songs, often for other artists.
A Nashville songwriter might do two co-writing sessions a day, sitting in a small room with guitars until a hook clicks. They pitch the best songs to artists and hope one gets recorded.
Extremely variable. Many songwriters earn little until they land a cut; publishing deals sometimes pay small advances; a hit can earn hundreds of thousands in royalties.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. No degree required; many study music; constant practice.
Ways in: Self-taught, 4-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Music, Songwriting, English.
Growing about average. Streaming has made earnings harder for most songwriters.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI song generators flood the market with cheap songs; writing hits with artists and personal storytelling stays human, but harder to break in.
Classes: Creative writing, Music theory, Piano or guitar lessons, English literature.
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.