---

Musical Instrument Making & Repair

Types of Degrees Musical Instrument Making & Repair Majors Are Earning

Those studying Musical Instrument Making & Repair have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	99
Associate’s Degree	27
Master’s Degree	64

What Musical Instrument Making & Repair Majors Need to Know

Studies in Musical Instrument Making & Repair build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Musical Instrument Making & Repair graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Musical Instrument Making & Repair emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Fine Arts — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Sales and Marketing — Importance 2.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Musical Instrument Making & Repair program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Repairing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Troubleshooting — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Musical Instrument Making & Repair careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Hearing Sensitivity — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Finger Dexterity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Musical Instrument Making & Repair graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.7 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.7 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	3.7 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.6 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.5 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.5 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	3.5 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Musical Instrument Making & Repair professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Katsura Shareware SoundFrames	Analytical or scientific software	—
TuneLab	Analytical or scientific software	—
Mensurix Audio	Analytical or scientific software	—
Katsura Shareware ProLevel	Analytical or scientific software	—
Tunic OnlyPure	Analytical or scientific software	—
Tunable Instrument Tuner	Analytical or scientific software	—
Katsura Shareware KS Strobe Tuner	Analytical or scientific software	—
TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome	Analytical or scientific software	—
Reyburn CyberTuner	Analytical or scientific software	—
Veritune Verituner	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Musical Instrument Making & Repair graduates include:

• Organ Installer
• Keyboard Instrument Repairer
• Percussion Instrument Tuner
• Organ Preservationist
• Bow Repairer
• Band Instrument Repair Technician (Band Instrument Repair Tech)
• Player Piano Technician (Player Piano Tech)
• Pipe Organ Repairer
• Stringed Instrument Tuner
• Instrument Builder
• Guitar Builder
• Reed or Wind Instrument Tuner
• Stringed Instrument Repairer
• Pipe Organ Tuner
• Percussion Instrument Repairer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Musical Instrument Making & Repair graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	54.5%
Less than a high school diploma	18.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	9.1%
Bachelor’s degree	9.1%
Some college courses	4.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Musical Instrument Making & Repair?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 83.2% of Musical Instrument Making & Repair degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	32	16.8%
Men	158	83.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Musical Instrument Making & Repair graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	156	82.1%
Asian	5	2.6%
Hispanic or Latino	9	4.7%
Black or African American	2	1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	1.1%
Two or More Races	4	2.1%
Race Unknown	10	5.3%
International Students	2	1.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Musical Instrument Making & Repair Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Musical Instrument Making & Repair graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$47,220
4 years	$39,373
5 years	$44,868

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $44,868 — roughly -5% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Musical Instrument Making & Repair Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Musical Instrument Making & Repair graduates earn a median of $39,373 four years after completion — roughly 4% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians	2,926
Gunsmithing/Gunsmith	2,555
Watchmaking and Jewelrymaking	81
Locksmithing and Safe Repair	61
Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Other	21
Parts and Warehousing Operations and Maintenance Technology/Technician	18

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.