SOC 49-9063.00

    Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

    Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments.

    Median pay
    $46,420
    Growth
    +1.9%
    Slower than average
    Openings a year
    600
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $31,220
    Median
    $46,420
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $71,600
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    5,380 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Musical instrument repairers and tuners fix and maintain percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. This hands-on career offers a median annual pay of $46,420, with some specialists focusing on specific tasks like piano tuning.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What musical instrument repairers and tuners do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this profession spend their days inspecting, troubleshooting, and repairing musical instruments. They use mechanical knowledge, physics, and fine arts concepts to evaluate the quality of an instrument's sound and structure. Daily tasks require handling delicate objects, making precise adjustments, and solving complex mechanical issues to restore proper function.

    This role is highly realistic and hands-on, demanding strong attention to detail, perseverance, and cautiousness. Repairers must analyze quality control, select the right tools, and maintain equipment. Because they often work directly with the public, they rely on customer service skills, active listening, and clear communication to understand what musicians need. They must also organize their own work schedules and manage administrative tasks.

    How to get there

    To enter this field, candidates typically need at least a high school diploma. Many individuals prepare by completing vocational training, earning an associate degree, or gaining related hands-on experience. A relevant college major for this career is precision systems maintenance and repair technologies/technicians.

    While learning the trade, individuals develop specialized skills in handling brass, woodwind, percussion, or stringed instruments. For those who choose to specialize in pianos, obtaining the Registered Piano Technician credential from the Piano Technicians Guild is a common path to demonstrate expertise. This certification shows a dedication to the standards of the trade.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for musical instrument repairers and tuners is $46,420. Earnings can vary based on experience and specialization, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $31,220 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $71,600.

    There are 5,380 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 1.9 percent, which is slower than the average for all occupations. Despite this slow growth, about 600 job openings are expected to become available each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    90 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    27 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    41 / 100
    Social (S)
    10 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    0 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    42 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCA. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    81
    Getting Information
    74
    Handling and Moving Objects
    68
    Thinking Creatively
    68
    Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
    68
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    66
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    64
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    64
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    63
    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    63
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Quality Control Analysis
    • Repairing
    • Troubleshooting
    • Critical Thinking
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Service Orientation
    • Active Listening
    • Equipment Maintenance
    • Equipment Selection

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Mechanical
    • Fine Arts
    • English Language
    • Administration and Management
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Engineering and Technology
    • Education and Training
    • Physics
    • Administrative

    Abilities

    • Hearing Sensitivity
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Finger Dexterity
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Near Vision
    • Auditory Attention
    • Control Precision
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Visualization
    • Deductive Reasoning

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Perseverance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Innovation
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Integrity
    • Self-Confidence
    • Adaptability

    Also called

    Accordion Repairer · Accordion Tuner · Band Instrument Repair Technician (Band Instrument Repair Tech) · Band Instrument Repairer · Banjo Repairer · Bow Repairer · Brass and Wind Instrument Repairer · Brass Instrument Repair Technician (Brass Instrument Repair Tech) · Fretted Instrument Repairer · Fretted String Instrument Repairer

    Career pathway

    From your interests to musical instrument repairers and tuners

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners$46,420 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Murray State College-Oklahoma logo
      Murray State College-Oklahoma

      Tishomingo, OK · Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $48,487
      Median debt
      Not reported

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What musical instrument repairers and tuners may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Musical Instrument Fabrication and Repair

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about musical instrument repairers and tuners

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    Workers in this field are known by many names depending on their specialty. They may be called band instrument repair technicians, brass and wind instrument repairers, fretted string instrument repairers, or accordion tuners.

    What is the job outlook for this field?

    Employment is projected to grow by 1.9 percent from 2025 to 2035, which is slower than average. However, about 600 openings are still projected to arise each year to fill vacancies.

    Is there a specific certification available for instrument tuners?

    Yes, piano tuners can pursue the Registered Piano Technician certification. This credential is offered by the Piano Technicians Guild.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.