Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners Salary

SOC Code: 49-9063 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$45,320
Mean Salary
$49,020
Employment
5,730
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$30,130
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$73,430

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$30,130 25th percentile
$35,820 Median (50th)
$45,320 75th percentile
$56,960 90th percentile
$73,430

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
Nevada$66,460$61,910N/A$42,730$66,470
Massachusetts$63,110$61,14070$41,640$81,810
Oregon$60,150$54,25070$36,800$61,510
Michigan$59,960$55,950240$31,820$64,210
Maryland$59,550$58,840110$35,100$85,690
Louisiana$53,830$53,660N/A$26,700$114,390
New Jersey$52,950$57,510110$35,060$76,250
Connecticut$52,270$50,76080$32,640$67,740
Illinois$48,860$57,440410$35,110$83,000
Texas$48,080$52,260550$30,270$76,060
New York$46,680$56,390260$36,540$77,660
Missouri$46,650$42,460180$26,460$55,900
North Carolina$46,280$43,35080$28,590$59,340
Ohio$45,930$50,120180$35,670$79,870
California$45,410$47,650600$34,450$62,100
Virginia$45,050$42,240170$29,190$51,440
Washington$44,750$45,95070$37,280$56,050
Wisconsin$44,220$44,210130$23,680$65,160
Tennessee$44,060$55,710350$32,270$84,180
Utah$41,440$47,260100$29,970$72,740
Minnesota$40,880$45,44060$30,790$81,030
Colorado$39,970$43,87060$30,120$63,650
Kentucky$39,630$40,99030$24,880$61,520
Indiana$39,610$42,640260$30,710$54,350
Rhode Island$39,340$42,650N/A$33,100$47,730
Iowa$38,810$50,080120$28,640$63,920
Arizona$38,110$43,720170$34,860$65,650
Pennsylvania$37,810$40,510350$32,570$51,400
Kansas$36,350$39,17090$27,330$52,650
Florida$35,250$40,07090$28,080$50,170
Oklahoma$31,770$37,47060$22,230$57,870
Georgia$25,420$34,510260$25,420$50,900

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV$66,460$61,290N/A
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$63,280$62,99040
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$62,480$57,65070
Lansing-East Lansing, MI$60,830$55,25060
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$60,150$53,57060
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$57,460$61,460240
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$54,390$59,730320
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$52,270$50,98050
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ$51,400$49,34030
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$50,640$54,190140
Elkhart-Goshen, IN$50,250$47,82050
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$48,680$51,06030
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT$47,870$48,24040
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$47,850$52,87070
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$47,300$46,600N/A
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$47,170$51,440160
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$46,790$48,050220
St. Louis, MO-IL$46,690$44,41090
Cleveland, OH$46,330$52,20040
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$46,190$48,00040

About Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of musical instrument repairers and tunerss earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.