Description
Plan, organize, direct, or assess clinical and evidenced-based music therapy interventions to positively influence individuals' physical, psychological, cognitive, or behavioral status.
Interests
- Social
- Artistic
- Investigative
Work Values
- Relationships
- Achievement
- Independence
Work Styles
- Concern for Others
- Self-Control
- Integrity
- Adaptability/Flexibility
- Dependability
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.
Work Activities
- Thinking Creatively
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Developing Objectives and Strategies
Detailed Work Activities
- Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Technology Skills
- Office suite software
- Music or sound editing software
- Medical software
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
Abilities
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Service Orientation
Knowledge
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Fine Arts
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.
Certificates
Certificate name
Music Therapist - Board CertifiedCertifying Organization
Certification Board for Music Therapists
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Certified Therapeutic Recreation SpecialistCertifying Organization
National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, Inc.
Type
Core
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
| Income Percentile | Annual Income |
|---|---|
| Low (10%) | N/A |
| Median (50%) | N/A |
| High (90%) | N/A |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–5 years), to senior level (6–8 years), to expert level (8+ years).
| Experience | Income |
|---|---|
Entry Level  | N/A |
| Mid Level | N/A |
| Senior Level | N/A |
| Expert Level | N/A |
Employability
There are currently 43,200 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 48,300 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 12%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of 12%
Related Careers
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services, Lightcast, CareerOneStop, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more details regarding the data sources and the specific information sourced, click here.
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