Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Art, Drama and Music Professors
Art, Drama and Music Professors teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Table of contents
What they do
Art, Drama and Music Professors teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
- Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
- Evaluate and grade students’ class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Art, Drama, and Music Professors maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. They maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
A typical day for a Postsecondary Art, Drama, and Music Teacher will also include:
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as acting techniques, fundamentals of music, and art history.
- Evaluate and grade students’ class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
- Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
- Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Art, Drama, and Music Professors also participate in campus and community events. They may also maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Art, Drama, and Music Professors keep students informed of community events, such as plays and concerts. They might also select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and performance pieces.
In addition, they serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them display students’ work in schools, galleries, and exhibitions.
To some Art, Drama, and Music Professors, it is also their responsibility to Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
75% said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they found their job meaningful.
As an assistant professor in music specializing in classical and commercial voice performance, my work is ever-changing. A typical day for me can include teaching classes—like lyric diction for singing, vocal pedagogy, or opera workshop—in the morning, participating in faculty meetings at noon, giving classical voice lessons in the afternoon, and providing online sessions with singer-songwriters in the evenings. Because I love what I do, I rarely stop working. Even the weekends can fill with music-related activities such as performances and research activities.
Credit: Mitchell Hutchings
Pros and Cons
I enjoy contributing to a positive learning environment where I can work alongside students and colleagues from various disciplines and backgrounds. I view my position as a vocation rather than a job. I could do this for the rest of my life and be fulfilled. Music is a gift, and I am thankful that I can share it with students and colleagues.
Pros
Suitable for people who like to help and teach others.
Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
Very high salary (top 25% highest paid careers).
Short working hours (Less than 40 hours per week).
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to follow routines.
It is very hard to get into this career. Extensive skills, knowledge, and experience are required for this career.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Art, Drama and Music Professors with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $34,220 to $50,300 per year or $* to $* per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $153,060 | $* |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $102,330 | $* |
| Median | $69,690 | $* |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $50,300 | $* |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $34,220 | $* |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Art, Drama and Music Professors based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Colleges | $90980 | $* |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $84590 | $* |
| Performing Arts Companies | $68490 | $* |
| Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events | $67760 | $* |
| Other Schools and Instruction | $66020 | $* |
| Technical and Trade Schools | $57620 | $* |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Art, Drama and Music Professors work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Art, Drama and Music Professors including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 69360 | $84590 | $* |
| Junior Colleges | 16870 | $90980 | $* |
| Other Schools and Instruction | 4380 | $66020 | $* |
| Technical and Trade Schools | $57620 | $* | |
| Performing Arts Companies | $68490 | $* | |
| Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events | $67760 | $* |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
How often do you use email in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Group discussions
How often do you have group discussions in this job?
Public speaking
How often does this job require you to do public speaking?
Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art
Theatre/Theatre Arts Management
Music Management
Fine and Studio Arts Management
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
Sound Arts
Percussion Instruments
Woodwind Instruments
Brass Instruments
Music Technology
Music Pedagogy
Stringed Instruments
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.
They also like working with forms, designs, and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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