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Singers


Overview

Introduction

Professional singers perform opera, gospel, blues, rock, jazz, folk, classical, country, and other musical genres before an audience or in recordings. Singers are musicians who use their voices as their instruments. They may perform as part of a band, choir, or other musical ensembles, or solo, whether with or without musical accompaniment. Singers and musicians hold approximately 175,600 jobs in the United States.

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$63,211

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Employment Prospects

Fair

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Minimum Education Level

High School Diploma


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Experience

Experience with a variety of singing styles recommended


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Skills

Interpersonal
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Personality Traits

Creative
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Earnings

As with many occupations in the performing arts, earnings for singers are highly dependent on one's professional reputation and thus have a wide range. To some degree, pay is also related to educational background (as it relates to how well one has been trained) and geographic location of performances. In certain situations, such as singing for audio recordings, pay is dependent on the number o...

Work Environment

The environments in which singers work tend to vary greatly, depending on such factors as type of music involved and location of performance area. Professional singers often work in the evenings and during weekends, and many are frequently required to travel. Many singers who are involved in popular productions such as in opera, rock, and country music work in large cities such as New York, Las...

Outlook

Any employment forecast for singers will most probably emphasize one factor that plays an important role in the availability of jobs: competition. Because so many people pursue musical careers and because there tend to be no formal requirements for employment in this industry (the main qualification is talent), competition is most often very strong. Talented singers who are skilled at promoting...