What Do Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner Do?
Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner Definition Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.
Life As a Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner
- Disassemble instruments and parts for repair and adjustment.
- Replace xylophone bars and wheels.
- Align pads and keys on reed or wind instruments.
- Strike wood, fiberglass, or metal bars of instruments, and use tuned blocks, stroboscopes, or electronic tuners to evaluate tones made by instruments.
- Wash metal instruments in lacquer-stripping and cyanide solutions to remove lacquer and tarnish.
- Shape old parts and replacement parts to improve tone or intonation, using hand tools, lathes, or soldering irons.
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Qualities of a Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner
These are the skills Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners say are the most useful in their careers:
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Other Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner Job Titles
- Pipe Organ Tuner and Repairer
- Player Piano Technician
- Piano Regulator-Inspector
- Keyboard Instrument Repairer
- Pipe Organ Technician
Is There Going to be Demand for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 8,300 jobs in the United States for Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 1.2% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 100 new jobs for Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 700 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner are Tennessee, Iowa, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Kansas, Massachusetts, or Connecticut. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner
The typical yearly salary for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners is somewhere between $22,700 and $59,020.

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners who work in New Mexico, Vermont, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
How much do Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $31,480 |
Arizona | $33,500 |
California | $41,720 |
Colorado | $34,990 |
Connecticut | $37,900 |
Florida | $30,710 |
Georgia | $49,330 |
Illinois | $49,720 |
Indiana | $31,930 |
Iowa | $42,540 |
Kansas | $32,320 |
Kentucky | $36,630 |
Louisiana | $33,890 |
Maryland | $41,030 |
Massachusetts | $37,850 |
Michigan | $32,970 |
Minnesota | $36,670 |
Mississippi | $34,750 |
Missouri | $35,990 |
New Jersey | $43,000 |
New Mexico | $87,200 |
New York | $39,200 |
North Carolina | $35,720 |
Ohio | $33,250 |
Oklahoma | $39,220 |
Oregon | $32,710 |
Pennsylvania | $40,620 |
South Carolina | $38,840 |
Tennessee | $38,550 |
Texas | $39,300 |
Utah | $36,990 |
Vermont | $52,020 |
Virginia | $36,480 |
Washington | $43,000 |
West Virginia | $35,470 |
Wisconsin | $36,590 |
What Tools & Technology do Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners may use on a daily basis:
Becoming a Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner
Education needed to be a Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner:

What work experience do I need to become a Musical Instrument Repairer or Tuner?

Who Employs Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners?

Below are examples of industries where Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners work:

References:
Image Credit: Phasmatisnox via CC BY 3.0
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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