Musicians and singers
SOC Code: 27-2042
Musicians and singers carries a 26% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk) and +1.1% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 169,800 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 26% AI exposure, Musicians and singers sits 11 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 17% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
58/100
Musicians and singers, weighted across 2 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage N/A N/A
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F +1.1%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A- 26% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Musicians and singers in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Musicians and singers keeps an No credential bar (109 of 832) and sits in Slow growth (245 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Musicians and singers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Musicians and singers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
26% Among the lowest lower than 83% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Musicians and singers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Musicians and singers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Musicians and singers's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 27-2042) code. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Musicians and singers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Musicians and singers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings.
- 2. Sing a cappella or with musical accompaniment.
- 3. Interpret or modify music, applying knowledge of harmony, melody, rhythm, and voice production to individualize presentations and maintain audience interest.
- 4. Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.
- 5. Sing as a soloist or as a member of a vocal group.
- 6. Observe choral leaders or prompters for cues or directions in vocal presentation.
- 7. Memorize musical selections and routines, or sing following printed text, musical notation, or customer instructions.
- 8. Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands.
- 9. Sight-read musical parts during rehearsals.
- 10. Play from memory or by following scores.
Key Skills Required
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Social Perceptiveness
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Service Orientation
- Time Management
- Writing
Knowledge Areas
- Fine Arts
- English Language
- Foreign Language
- Education and Training
- Communications and Media
- Customer and Personal Service
- Philosophy and Theology
- Administration and Management
- Psychology
- History and Archeology
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Musicians and singers?
Musicians and singers has an AI exposure score of 26%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Musicians and singers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Musicians and singers is projected to grow by 1.1% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 169,800 workers.
What skills are needed for Musicians and singers?
Key skills for Musicians and singers include Speaking, Active Listening, Monitoring, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Musicians and singers earn?
Wage data for Musicians and singers varies by region, experience, and employer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes median wage estimates in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Musicians and singers?
The typical entry-level education for Musicians and singers is No formal educational credential. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Long-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Musicians and singers?
Musicians and singers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Musicians and singers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (26% here).
- Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 26%
- Architectural and engineering managers · AI exposure 26%
- Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 26%
- Athletic trainers · AI exposure 26%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+1.1% here).
- Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians · growth +1.1%
- Industrial truck and tractor operators · growth +1.1%
- Railroad conductors and yardmasters · growth +1.1%
- Special education teachers, all other · growth +1.1%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 26 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Musicians and singers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Musicians and singers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).