How to become a Music Therapist

Official title: Music Therapists

Also called: Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC), LCAT (Licensed Creative Arts Therapist), Music Therapist, Neurologic Music Therapist, Public School System Music Therapist, Therapist

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

Main tasks

• 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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Ways in

• College: Creative Arts & Design degrees, Offered by 32 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $77,930 a year The middle half earn $58,850 to $105,760.
• About 56,100 people work in this job now, and about 63,200 are projected by 2035. (+12.6%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Occupational Therapists
• Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• Radiation Therapists
• Recreational Therapists
• Respiratory Therapists

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Music Therapist?

Ways in include: Creative Arts & Design degrees.

How much does a Music Therapist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $77,930 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $58,850 to $105,760.

Is a Music Therapist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 13% by 2035, from about 56,100 to about 63,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Music Therapist?

Usually. 89% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Music Therapist?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.