Career Profile: Music Therapist

Job Title: Music Therapist

What is a/an Music Therapist?

A Music Therapist is a licensed therapist who uses music to treat adults & children with psychiatric disorders, mental retardation and developmental disabilities, speech and hearing impairments, physical disabilities, and neurological impairments, and other disorders.

What does a/an Music Therapist do?

A Music Therapist does essentially the same things a psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist or counselor might do. They help patients who suffer from mental, psychological, social, physical, behaviorial and neurological disorders, disabilities or limitations by listening to them, observing their behaviors and interactions with others, prescribing behaviorial changes and/or medical interventions and teaching them to live with/work around their disorders, disabilities or limitations.

Music Therapists will sometimes teach patients to play an instrument, ask them to sing or dance, or just move with and listen to music as a way of relieving anxiety, learning to communicate or refocusing energy to a different part of their lives. They use music as part of their patients’ therapy because research has shown that music can help people with certain disabilities, including speech and hearing impairments and physical limitations, to rehabilitate.

Music therapy can also be used to help patients who are depressed or holding hurtful thoughts or images inside to release them by writing a song, creating a melody, or simply selecting music that represents their feelings. Music therapy has also been known to help physical therapy patients to recover more quickly.
Some music therapists treat only children or teens; others treat only adults. And, others treat only people with certain types of disorders or disabilities like autism or speech impairments.

Finally, some music therapists teach at universities and colleges, or teaching hospitals, in addition to, or instead of, treating patients.

Who might love this job?

To love this career, you must love music! Music therapists are different from most other types of therapists because they are also musicians. They generally spend as much time studying music as they do psychiatry, psychology and behavioral science.

You must also love people. Music therapists spend nearly all of their time with people who have disabilities, disorders and limitations. Sometimes that means seeing people at their worst and still wanting to help them to be the best they can be.

Music therapy requires that you be a self-aware, patient, empathetic and creative person. Music therapists have to be able to turn off their own tortured artist and turn on their inner health professional and caregiver because, at the end of the day, they are healthcare professionals with a great responsibility for the well-being of their patients. That said, people who are interested in working in the healthcare field in a less traditional role might love this career.

How much does a/an Music Therapist earn?

On average, a Music Therapist earns $41,000-$50,000. However, Music Therapists with several years of experience and a Master’s or doctorate degree may earn between $62,000 and $77,000. As with any career, those who excel by publishing successful books, building a successful private practice and/or working for world-class organizations can earn a lot more. Pay rates vary based on the type of employer and the education and work experience of the candidate.

For whom might a/an Music Therapist work?

Music Therapists usually work for general and psychiatric hospitals, community mental health agencies, rehabilitation centers, day care facilities, nursing homes, colleges and universities, healthcare management organizations (HMO), or in private practice alone or with partners. Some Music Therapists also work for private foundations and other organizations that are devoted to treating or researching treatments or cures to certain disorders such as the Williams Syndrome Association which runs a music therapy camp for children suffering with Williams Syndrome.

To break in you’ll need…

At least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college and a Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC) credential issued by the Certification Board for Music Therapists, Inc. (CBMT). The Bachelor’s degree need not be in music therapy, though there are plenty of schools that offer this degree. If your major is something other than music therapy, say psychology or biology, or music, you’ll need to complete the degree equivalency program in music therapy or earn a second Bachelors degree in music therapy.

To get an entry-level job at a summer camp or working alongside a team of more experienced music therapists, you may need 0-1 year of work experience, much of which could be gained through internships or clinics while still in college.

To get higher level jobs some employers, especially universities and research hospitals, will require MT-BC certification and at least a Master’s degree in music therapy (often a doctorate), and several years of work experience treating patients. These employers will require a minimum of 3 years of clinical experience treating patients, and perhaps some teaching experience.

As with many careers, the best way to get started is to secure an internship or volunteer job working in a hospital or a summer camp, or other setting that allows you to observe and/or participate in some way in music therapy or traditional therapy sessions. Employers want to see a demonstrated interest in working in this career field.

Schools offerings degrees in Music Therapy

More schools offering degrees in music therapy

Music Therapy Program at MSU

AMTA National Roster Internships

For more student internship information, visit everybodyelsesguidetocollege.com.

For current job openings…

Music Therapy Jobs

University and College Music Therapy Jobs

Music Jobs USA

Williams Syndrome Association Summer Music Camp

Music Therapy Internships

Monroe #1 BOCES Music Therapy Internship

Dallas Children’s Medical Center Music Therapy Internship

For more internships, email our career expert.

What about this career doesn’t suck?

This career rates wells on our WorkYourWay Index because of its “good deeds” factor (helping people who really need it), its relatively low stress working environment (relatively small patient load and normal business hours), good benefits (working in healthcare has its benefits), and the creative outlet (get paid for doing something you love). The career also earns a good rating for the availability of jobs, job security, and better than average earnings, especially when you compare this career to that of professional musician (not rock star). So, Music Therapy as a career earns a 69%!

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