Musicat California Institute of the Arts
Graduates earn $18,896/yr in their first year — about 33.0% below the national Music average. Base-case 10-year earnings $455K; scenarios range from $430K to $451K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at California Institute of the Arts
CalArts' Music program cultivates unique artistic voices, often leading graduates into independent performance, experimental composition, or interdisciplinary art. Your initial earnings reflect the project-based reality of these highly competitive fields, where building a sustainable career demands significant time and entrepreneurial drive, particularly within the dynamic Los Angeles creative landscape. This institution prioritizes artistic exploration and avant-garde approaches, meaning many graduates aren't immediately entering traditional, high-salary roles, but rather forging their own paths in a gig economy. While some find stability in teaching or sound engineering, the early years are often about intense networking and establishing your creative identity. To thrive, you'll need to proactively build your professional network and cultivate a versatile skillset, ready to diversify your income streams through a blend of creative projects and related work.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to California Institute of the Arts's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Music
How California Institute of the Arts stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at California Institute of the Arts
Other highest-scoring programs offered at California Institute of the Arts, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Music offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Music trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Music at California Institute of the Arts
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Music at California Institute of the Arts?
A score of 15/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Music. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Is Music at California Institute of the Arts worth the student debt?
Median debt of $19,500 against $18,896/yr starting salary means roughly 1.0 years of earnings go to repayment. That's above average — financial aid and loan terms matter here.
Will AI replace Music careers?
With 47% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $429,647 in decade earnings vs $451,047 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Can you still earn well with Music from California Institute of the Arts?
First-year earnings trail the national median, but starting salary isn't the full picture. Regional cost of living, career trajectory, and tuition cost all factor in. Check the five-year earnings data when available.