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Major · Music

A studio-and-software credential for production, audio, and sound design

Music Technology (CIP 50.0913) prepares students to combine music with recording, synthesis, and software for live and screen production. About 1,542 students complete it across 120 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning around $43,972 in tracked five-year wages.

Schools offering
120
Annual completions
1,542
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$44k

About this major

Music Technology (CIP 50.0913) is a studio-and-software credential preparing students to apply technical knowledge to the composition, recording, synthesis, and performance of music; audio-visual production; scoring for film and multimedia; and software and multimedia development. Coursework spans music theory and history, acoustics and recording technology, computer composition and electronic music synthesis, technology-based performance, 3D sound and spatial audio, and music business and law. Students alternate between studio sessions, DAW-based production in Pro Tools, Logic, or Ableton, live-sound projects, and ear-training and theory fundamentals — with a portfolio or reel of original productions as the central milestone.

The major fits students drawn to the intersection of music and signal flow — comfortable with the science of sound and the craft of arrangement, willing to spend long hours debugging session files and chasing tone, and patient enough to build a public reel alongside coursework. It rewards musical literacy, methodical troubleshooting, and a service-mindset for collaborators (artists, directors, game designers) whose vision drives the session. Pairings with computer science, music business, or live-event production are common career-shaping choices.

Across 120 institutions, 1,542 students complete this CIP — modest national volume concentrated heavily at industry-aligned schools. Los Angeles Film School (403) and Full Sail University (310) together produce roughly 46% of completions, with Middle Tennessee State (132) and Rowan (47) leading more traditional university programs. The named labor-market destinations include sound engineering technicians ($66,430, -1.7% growth), music directors and composers ($63,670, -0.3% growth), and postsecondary art, drama, and music teachers ($80,190, 1.7% growth, master’s typical). Bachelor’s graduates earn $43,972 in tracked five-year wages, associate’s graduates $36,881.

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
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary $80k +1.7% Master's degree
Music directors and composers $64k -0.3% Bachelor's degree
Sound engineering technicians $66k -1.7% Postsecondary nondegree award
Disc jockeys, except radio — +3.8% High school diploma or equivalent
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 signal flow and sonic detail hold your attention as much as melody and groove, you’re willing to build a public reel of mixes, productions, or sound-design work alongside coursework, you’re comfortable directing AI tools rather than competing with them on entry-level mixing or mastering tasks, you’re strategic about pairing the credential with computer science, music business, or live-event production for a sturdier career stack, and you can stomach freelance and contract work early — W-2 audio engineering jobs concentrate in NYC, LA, Nashville, Atlanta, and a few studio markets.

Think twice if performing or songwriting is your primary identity rather than production — Music Performance, General (CIP 50.0903, 3,958 completions) and Music Theory and Composition (50.0904, 847) cover that ground more directly. Reconsider if you want pure engineering with less music coursework, since Recording Arts Technology/Technician (CIP 10.0203, 1,311 completions) leans further into equipment and signal chains. Pause if you’re uncomfortable with negative-growth signals in the named technical destinations (-1.7% sound engineering technicians, -0.3% music directors and composers) or with relocating to a studio-heavy market. Plan deliberately for portfolio building; the credential alone does not carry the field.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Music Technology

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Los Angeles Film School Hollywood, CA 280 123 403
Full Sail University Winter Park, FL 29 281 310
Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN 0 132 132
Rowan University Glassboro, NJ 0 47 47
Miami Dade College Miami, FL 29 0 29
University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK 0 27 27
University of New Haven West Haven, CT 0 26 26
Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA 0 25 25
Valencia College Orlando, FL 24 0 24
Shoreline Community College Shoreline, WA 24 0 24
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Music, General

7,606 completions/yr

Music Performance, General

3,958 completions/yr

Music Management

1,476 completions/yr

Recording Arts Technology/Technician

1,311 completions/yr

Musical Theatre

1,121 completions/yr

Music, Other

861 completions/yr

Music Theory and Composition

847 completions/yr

Jazz/Jazz Studies

341 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

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

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

Common questions

What do Music Technology majors actually study day-to-day?
The CIP definition organizes coursework around music theory, history, and composition; acoustics and recording technology; computer composition and electronic music synthesis; technology-based performance; 3D sound and spatial audio; scoring for film and multimedia; software and multimedia development; and music business and law. In practice, students alternate between studio sessions (tracking, mixing, mastering), DAW-based composition (Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton), live-sound or front-of-house projects, and theory or ear-training fundamentals. Many programs require a portfolio or reel of original productions and recorded work as a graduation milestone.
Do I need a bachelor’s, or is an associate’s enough?
Both degree levels are offered, and the data shows a meaningful split. Associate’s graduates earn around $36,881 in tracked five-year wages while bachelor’s graduates earn around $43,972. The named sound engineering technicians destination ($66,430, -1.7% growth) typically requires only a postsecondary nondegree award, so a focused associate’s plus a strong reel can carry weight for studio and live-sound work. A bachelor’s helps for music director and composer roles ($63,670, -0.3% growth) and for any path toward teaching or graduate study.
What kinds of jobs do graduates end up in?
Named destinations include sound engineering technicians ($66,430, -1.7% growth, postsecondary nondegree award 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 early destinations include studio assistant, live-sound and front-of-house engineer, post-production editor for film and TV, game-audio implementer, music software QA or product roles, and freelance producer or mixer. Disc jockey work (3.8% growth) sits adjacent for those drawn to live electronic performance.
How competitive is the job market, and how is AI changing it?
Competitive, and shifting. Two of the three named technical destinations show negative growth — sound engineering technicians at -1.7% and music directors and composers at -0.3% — and W-2 staff jobs concentrate in NYC, LA, Nashville, Atlanta, and a handful of studio markets. Generative-music tools and automated mixing or mastering services are absorbing parts of the entry-level workflow, especially demo production, stem cleanup, and basic mastering. Graduates who pair strong production fundamentals with a public reel, a niche (game audio, film post, live tour, immersive audio), and comfort directing AI tools tend to fare better than those relying on the credential alone.
Why are LA Film School and Full Sail so dominant in completions?
Los Angeles Film School (403 graduates) and Full Sail University (310) together produce roughly 46% of national completions in this CIP, both through industry-aligned, screen-and-studio-focused programs that train heavily on commercial DAWs, Pro Tools certification, post-production, and game-audio pipelines. Traditional university programs like Middle Tennessee State (132), Rowan (47), and University of Central Oklahoma (27) round out the list with more theory-and-composition balance. The pattern reflects the modern reality that paying audio work centers on film, TV, game, and commercial production.
How does this compare to Recording Arts or Music, General?
Recording Arts Technology/Technician (CIP 10.0203, 1,311 completions) is the closest cousin and is sorted under communications technologies — leaning further into the engineering and equipment side with less music theory. Music, General (CIP 50.0901, 7,606 completions) and Music Performance, General (50.0903, 3,958) are the broad performance-and-musicianship tracks, with far less production and software content. Music Technology (50.0913) sits in the middle, blending musical literacy with studio, software, and live-audio skills. Pick Recording Arts if you want pure engineering, Performance if playing is your identity, and Music Technology if you want both worlds.