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Visual & Performing Arts · Music Rank #19 of 240

Musicat The University of Texas at Austin

Graduates earn $39,564/yr in their first year — about 41.0% above the national Music average. Base-case 10-year earnings $513K; scenarios range from $474K to $515K depending on AI disruption.

Austin, TX Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
45 AVERAGE
45
Optimistic
33
Pessimistic
Earnings
$39,564
1-year post-graduation
ROI
10.3x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$513K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
49% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at UT Austin

The strong outcomes you're seeing for UT Austin Music graduates reflect the program's unique positioning within a truly dynamic urban ecosystem. Austin, famously the "Live Music Capital of the World," provides an unparalleled local labor market for musicians, sound engineers, composers, and educators that extends beyond traditional performance. This isn't just about playing gigs; it's about a thriving creative economy that integrates music into film, gaming, tech company events, and a robust K-12 and post-secondary education sector. UT's flagship reputation and deep connections within this local industry mean graduates often have direct pipelines to opportunities that simply don't exist elsewhere. Your degree here leverages more than just musical talent; it taps into Austin's economic engine. To maximize your potential, actively seek out interdisciplinary projects and network aggressively within Austin’s diverse creative and tech communities from day one.

AI Outlook Integration

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.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$474K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score33/100
Earnings Multiple10.2x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$513K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score45/100
Earnings Multiple11.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$515K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score45/100
Earnings Multiple11.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UT Austin's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Music graduates typically work

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.

1
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
+1.7% 10-yr growth · 9,000 openings/yr
$80,190/yr
Moderate
2
Sound engineering technicians
-1.7% 10-yr growth · 1,200 openings/yr
$66,430/yr
Moderate
3
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
-1.6% 10-yr growth · 66,200 openings/yr
$64,580/yr
Moderate
4
Music directors and composers
-0.3% 10-yr growth · 4,300 openings/yr
$63,670/yr
Very High
5
Musicians and singers
+1.1% 10-yr growth · 19,400 openings/yr
Moderate
6
Disc jockeys, except radio
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 1,500 openings/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Music

How UT Austin stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Sam Houston State University
TX · Public
51
DW Score
$60K
1-yr earn
11.9x
ROI
Top score
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
TX · Public
57
DW Score
$56K
1-yr earn
14.2x
ROI
Same state (TX)
Texas A & M University-Kingsville
TX · Public
57
DW Score
$56K
1-yr earn
14.3x
ROI
The University of Texas at El Paso
TX · Public
51
DW Score
$56K
1-yr earn
13.4x
ROI
University of Houston
TX · Public
55
DW Score
$53K
1-yr earn
14.1x
ROI
Also at UT Austin

Other top programs at UT Austin

Other highest-scoring programs offered at UT Austin, 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 →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Music at UT Austin

What does a 45/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Music at The University of Texas at Austin?

At 45/100, the financial outlook is modest. Higher-scoring Music programs exist, though non-financial factors may justify this choice.

Should I worry about AI if I study Music at The University of Texas at Austin?

The 47% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.