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Major · Music

A catchall code housing specialized music-program tracks

Music, Other (CIP 50.0999) is the catchall code for specialized music programs not fitting a named CIP sub-discipline. About 861 students complete it across 105 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning around $43,972 in tracked five-year wages.

Schools offering
105
Annual completions
861
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$44k

About this major

Music, Other (CIP 50.0999) is the catchall code universities and conservatories use for specialized music programs that don’t fit a named CIP sub-discipline. The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in music not listed above. In practice, this code houses programs that fall outside Music, General (50.0901), Music Performance (50.0903), Music Technology (50.0913), Music Management (50.1003), Music Theory and Composition (50.0904), and Jazz Studies (50.0910). The most distinctive use of the code is at Berklee College of Music, where contemporary writing and production, songwriting, commercial music, and music-industry tracks slot here rather than under the more traditional named CIPs. Other strong programs at Belmont (Nashville-based commercial music) and University of Miami’s Frost School use the catchall for similar contemporary-focused tracks.

The major fits students drawn to contemporary, commercial, or songwriter-focused music work — comfortable spending hours in production tools, on instruments, or in writing sessions, and willing to build a portfolio of recordings, performances, and original work alongside coursework. It rewards musical aptitude, persistent practice and network-building, and the patience to develop genuine artistic identity over years. The career path is portfolio-driven: most working musicians combine performance, teaching, session work, songwriting, and industry-support roles into a mixed-income career rather than holding a single staff position.

One grounded observation about pay and field reality: 861 students complete this CIP across 105 institutions, with Berklee alone producing 254 (30% of national output), followed by Belmont (89), Liberty (63), and Miami (36). Bachelor’s graduates earn $43,972 in five-year tracked wages and associate’s graduates $36,881 — modest figures reflecting the field’s reliance on portfolio careers and project income. The named labor-market destinations show the same pattern: music directors and composers ($63,670, -0.3% growth) is a small bachelor’s-tier destination, postsecondary music teaching ($80,190, 1.7% growth) requires a master’s, and the largest realistic destination — musicians and singers — has no formal credential gate and no reported median wage in the BLS data because compensation varies so widely across performance, session, and teaching income.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Musicians and singers — +1.1% No formal educational credential
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary $80k +1.7% Master's degree
Music directors and composers $64k -0.3% Bachelor's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$44k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$37k

Bachelor's

$44k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you’re drawn to contemporary, commercial, or songwriter-focused music work and willing to build a portfolio of recordings, performances, and original work alongside coursework, you’re strategic about choosing a program whose specific track matches your direction (Berklee for contemporary writing and production, Belmont for Nashville commercial music, Miami Frost for jazz and contemporary), you understand the field hires on demonstrated work rather than on the degree alone, you’re realistic about the $44,000 bachelor’s wage and the mixed-income reality of music careers, and you can sustain the persistent practice and network-building the path requires.

Think twice if you’re considering this credential primarily for the wage potential — comparable bachelor’s outcomes in other fields are substantially higher, and the music-career path requires sustained portfolio work that often yields modest tracked income. Reconsider if your target is K-12 music teaching; that path uses Music Teacher Education (CIP 13.1312, 3,229 completions) with state-licensure preparation rather than this catchall. Also pause if your school’s 50.0999 program isn’t in the strong contemporary-music tier (Berklee, Belmont, Miami Frost level) — the credential signal weakens at less-recognized programs, especially given the field’s reliance on portfolio-driven hiring.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Music, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Berklee College of Music Boston, MA 0 254 254
Belmont University Nashville, TN 0 89 89
Liberty University Lynchburg, VA 0 63 63
University of Miami Coral Gables, FL 0 36 36
Capital University Columbus, OH 0 32 32
Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN 0 29 29
The University of Montana Missoula, MT 0 20 20
Oberlin College Oberlin, OH 0 17 17
Lipscomb University Nashville, TN 0 17 17
County College of Morris Randolph, NJ 16 0 16
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Music, General

7,606 completions/yr

Music Performance, General

3,958 completions/yr

Music Technology

1,542 completions/yr

Music Management

1,476 completions/yr

Musical Theatre

1,121 completions/yr

Music Theory and Composition

847 completions/yr

Jazz/Jazz Studies

341 completions/yr

Voice and Opera

283 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Music, Other field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Music, Other worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this catchall CIP actually cover?
The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in music not listed above. In practice, this code houses programs that fall outside Music, General (50.0901), Music Performance (50.0903), Music Technology (50.0913), Music Management (50.1003), Music Theory and Composition (50.0904), and Jazz Studies (50.0910). Examples include contemporary writing and production, songwriting tracks, commercial music, music-industry studies, and integrated music programs that don’t map cleanly to a named CIP. Specific program content varies considerably by institution.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
Named destinations include musicians and singers (median wage not reported, 1.1% growth, no formal credential typical), music directors and composers ($63,670, -0.3% growth, bachelor’s typical), and art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary ($80,190, 1.7% growth, master’s typical). Realistic destinations include performing musician (often supplemented with teaching, session work, or non-music income), songwriter and producer, music-industry support roles, and private music teaching. Bachelor’s graduates earn $43,972 in five-year tracked wages — modest, reflecting the field’s reliance on portfolio careers and project income.
Why does Berklee dominate the top of this CIP?
Berklee College of Music produces 254 graduates — roughly 30% of national completions — through its contemporary-music programs that don’t fit named music CIPs (contemporary writing and production, songwriting, music industry tracks). Belmont (89, Nashville-based contemporary music), Liberty (63), and University of Miami (36) round out the top tier. The credential signal differs sharply by school — Berklee, Belmont, and Miami’s Frost School carry strong industry reputation in contemporary and commercial music, while smaller programs at religious or regional schools serve different niches. Investigate your target program’s specific focus.
How realistic is performing as a primary career?
Demanding. Music as a labor market is portfolio-driven and competitive — most working musicians supplement performance income with teaching, session work, music-industry support roles, or non-music income. The bachelor’s tracked wage of $43,972 reflects that mixed income reality, well below comparable bachelor’s outcomes in other fields. Music directors and composers ($63,670, -0.3% growth) are a small destination, and the path requires persistent network-building, recordings, and live performance to make a primary career viable.
How does this compare to Music, General or Music Performance?
Music, General (CIP 50.0901, 7,606 completions) is roughly nine times larger and the broadest music credential, typical at universities with traditional music schools. Music Performance, General (50.0903, 3,958 completions) is the named performance track. The 50.0999 catchall sits at contemporary-music-school strongholds (Berklee, Belmont, Miami Frost) where the curriculum doesn’t fit traditional classical CIPs. Choose by program focus — traditional classical training points to Music, General or Performance; contemporary, commercial, or songwriting work points more often to this catchall or to Music Technology (50.0913) and Music Management (50.1003).
Is the bachelor’s the right level if I want to teach music?
Depends on the level. K-12 music teaching uses Music Teacher Education (CIP 13.1312, 3,229 completions) — a different credential with state-licensure preparation. Postsecondary music teaching ($80,190, 1.7% growth) requires a master’s degree (typically MFA or DMA), and tenure-track competition is fierce. Private music teaching (lessons-based, in studios or independent practice) doesn’t require a specific credential — students often start during the bachelor’s and continue through the early career as supplemental income. The 50.0999 bachelor’s is preparatory rather than terminal for any teaching path.