Have you ever wondered what a typical working musician’s salary is? As a senior at Berklee College of Music, I often find myself discussing with peers and wondering what types of jobs will realistically allow us to support ourselves while being able to work in an industry we are so passionate about.

Well, while my head has been spinning, trying to figure out where my skills and interests might fit in this ever-changing industry, Berklee released an updated version of Music Careers in Dollars and Cents. The document is an extremely helpful directory that details the salary ranges for different U.S. music positions including jobs in performance, business, audio technology, education, and music therapy.

Music Careers in Dollars and Cents was first released in 2010, and has been updated for 2012 to keep up with a constantly changing industry. New features of the 2012 directory include updated salary and job information; and more detailed salary ranges for many positions, such as TV and Film Score Composer, Music Supervisor, and Songwriter/Lyricist.

The most interesting part to me is that the updated directory includes an expanded Emerging Career Paths section highlighting current positions that are expected to experience continued growth in the coming years. Looks like over the next semester, I’ll be doing everything possible to hone my skills that would make me a good candidate for a job in Mobile Music App Development, Social Media Management, Integrated Marketing, Content Acquisition, Audio Advertising Production, Online Video Music Teaching, or Creative Arts Therapy.

Most of us Berklee students aren’t completely aware of the facts behind compensation in music, but the Career Development Center (CDC) helps keep us on track with the steps we need to take in order to make a career out of our passion for music. The Music in Dollars and Cents study is the result of months of research and revision, and its thoroughness definitely shines through. It is a reference that is helpful not only for the Berklee community, but for the music industry at large.

You can check out the study here or at Berklee.edu/studentlife/cdc.html.