Singer

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Work Tasks

• Sing before live audiences, or on radio or TV
• Use what they know about the voice, melody, and harmony to interpret music
• Sing with or without a piano or band, on concert tours, on stage, in recording studios, in movies, and at ceremonies
• May teach choirs or give private voice lessons
• Work for opera and musical companies, movie productions, radio, TV, nightclubs, restaurants, and churches
• Work with musical scores, scripts, costumes, make-up, props, stage sets, microphones, pianos, guitars, and other musical instruments

Salary, Size & Growth

• $47,000 average per year ($22.50 per hour)
• A medium occupation (43,400 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow moderately (0.8% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A good singing voice, and experience singing in amateur or professional settings
• Employers Prefer: a 4-year degree as a voice major
• Skills/Courses: College courses include music and voice, performance, and languages.