Musicat University of California-Los Angeles
Graduates earn $22,125/yr in their first year — about 21.0% below the national Music average. Base-case 10-year earnings $548K; scenarios range from $502K to $555K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UCLA
Your UCLA Music degree places you squarely in the heart of one of the world's most dynamic and competitive music industries. While the initial financial outcomes may appear challenging, this often reflects the non-traditional, portfolio-based careers common in the arts, rather than a lack of opportunity. Graduates frequently navigate a blend of roles: performing, composing for film/TV/games, studio engineering, independent artistry, or teaching. The sheer volume of talent in Los Angeles means securing stable, high-paying work often requires significant hustle and networking. To maximize your potential, proactively engage with the city's vast professional network, cultivate strong entrepreneurial skills, and diversify your proficiencies, especially in areas like digital music production and sound design, to adapt to the evolving industry landscape and emerging technologies.
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 UCLA'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 UCLA stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UCLA
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UCLA, 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 UCLA
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Music at University of California-Los Angeles?
A score of 30/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Music. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
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 $501,517 in decade earnings vs $554,547 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Can you still earn well with Music from University of California-Los Angeles?
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.