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Visual & Performing Arts · Music Rank #7 of 240

Musicat The University of Texas at El Paso

Graduates earn $56,062/yr in their first year — about 99.0% above the national Music average. Base-case 10-year earnings $539K; scenarios range from $495K to $545K depending on AI disruption.

El Paso, TX Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
51 AVERAGE
51
Optimistic
41
Pessimistic
Earnings
$56,062
1-year post-graduation
ROI
13.4x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$539K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
49% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at UTEP

Your strong earnings potential from UTEP's Music program reflects a strategic focus on career readiness, particularly in areas with consistent regional demand. The program likely emphasizes practical skills in music education, preparing you for roles in El Paso's numerous school districts and potentially even postsecondary institutions. Given El Paso's unique position as a vibrant border city, there are rich opportunities for music directors and composers who can work across diverse cultural contexts, and for sound engineering technicians supporting local venues, media, and events that blend regional influences.

While creative fields face evolving challenges, your key takeaway is to actively build a diverse skillset. Focus on hands-on experiences in sound production, teaching pedagogy, or composition for specific applications. Leverage the program's connections to gain experience in local schools, recording studios, or cultural organizations, ensuring you graduate with both artistic talent and marketable professional expertise.

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
$495K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score41/100
Earnings Multiple12.7x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$539K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score51/100
Earnings Multiple13.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$545K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score51/100
Earnings Multiple14.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UTEP'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 UTEP 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
University of Houston
TX · Public
55
DW Score
$53K
1-yr earn
14.1x
ROI
Texas A & M University-Commerce
TX · Public
49
DW Score
$52K
1-yr earn
11.2x
ROI
Also at UTEP

Other top programs at UTEP

Other highest-scoring programs offered at UTEP, 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 UTEP

How does The University of Texas at El Paso's Music program score?

This program scores 51/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Music graduates.

How vulnerable is Music to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Music careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 47% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.

Why does The University of Texas at El Paso rank so high for Music?

The #7 ranking out of 240 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.