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Healthcare (Clinical)29-1129.02Specialization

Music Therapists

Plan, organize, direct, or assess clinical and evidenced-based music therapy interventions to positively influence individuals' physical, psychological, cognitive, or behavioral status.

$63,650
Median Pay
4-6 years
Training
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AI-Resilient
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Career Overview Video

AI Impact Assessment

AI Resilience Score

Score 5/6: low AI task exposure, strong human advantage provides strong protection from AI displacement (estimated from legacy data)

🟢AI-Resilient

How we calculated this:

AI Exposure
Low+2

11% of tasks can be accelerated by AI

Job Growth
Stable+1

0% projected (2024-2034)

Human Advantage
Strong+2

EPOCH score: 22/25

Total Score5/6
Methodology: v2.0 - GPTs are GPTs / BLS / EPOCH Additive ScoringUpdated: 2026-01-09
View full methodology →

Key Responsibilities

  • Design or provide music therapy experiences to address client needs, such as using music for self-care, adjusting to life changes, improving cognitive functioning, raising self-esteem, communicating, or controlling impulses.
  • Design music therapy experiences, using various musical elements to meet client's goals or objectives.
  • Sing or play musical instruments, such as keyboard, guitar, or percussion instruments.
  • Communicate with clients to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect upon their reactions to musical experiences.
  • Customize treatment programs for specific areas of music therapy, such as intellectual or developmental disabilities, educational settings, geriatrics, medical settings, mental health, physical disabilities, or wellness.
  • Establish client goals or objectives for music therapy treatment, considering client needs, capabilities, interests, overall therapeutic program, coordination of treatment, or length of treatment.
  • Document evaluations, treatment plans, case summaries, or progress or other reports related to individual clients or client groups.
  • Assess client functioning levels, strengths, and areas of need in terms of perceptual, sensory, affective, communicative, musical, physical, cognitive, social, spiritual, or other abilities.
  • Observe and document client reactions, progress, or other outcomes related to music therapy.
  • Improvise instrumentally, vocally, or physically to meet client's therapeutic needs.

Education & Training

Typical Entry Education

Bachelor's degree

Time to Job Ready

4-6 years

Based on Job Zone 4. For formal education duration only, see education_duration.

Technology Skills

EHR/documentation softwareMusic production software (Pro Tools)MIDI softwareMicrosoft OfficeTelehealth platforms

Key Abilities

Oral ExpressionProblem SensitivityOral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionWritten ExpressionDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningSpeech RecognitionSpeech ClarityFluency of Ideas

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Find jobs and training programs for music therapists- Median salary: $64K/year

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Compensation Details

$40,790
10th Percentile
$63,650
Median
$124,530
90th Percentile

Based on 16,490 employed workers

Also Known As

Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC)Certified Music TherapistCommunity Music TherapistCreative Arts Music TherapistCreative Music TherapistExpressive Music TherapistHome Care Music TherapistHospice Music TherapistLCAT (Licensed Creative Arts Therapist)Music Art Therapist

Data from O*NET 30.1 and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics

O*NET Code: 29-1129.02