Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 49-9063

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

Median pay sits 38% below the mid peer in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations (neighbors include Signal and Track Switch Repairers, Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines, Watch and Clock Repairers, Avionics Technicians).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners: Signal and Track Switch Repairers ($92K) , Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines ($66K) , Watch and Clock Repairers ($67K) , Avionics Technicians ($82K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 49-9063 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Align pads and keys on reed or wind instruments
  2. 2. Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices
  3. 3. Solder posts and parts to hold them in their proper places
  4. 4. Compare instrument pitches with tuning tool pitches to tune instruments
  5. 5. Play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects
  6. 6. Disassemble instruments and parts for repair and adjustment
  7. 7. Repair or replace musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts, and keys, using hand and power tools
  8. 8. Reassemble instruments following repair, using hand tools and power tools and glue, hair, yarn, resin, or clamps, and lubricate instrumen…
  9. 9. Remove dents and burrs from metal instruments, using mallets and burnishing tools
  10. 10. Inspect instruments to locate defects, and to determine their value or the level of restoration required
  11. 11. Adjust felt hammers on pianos to increase tonal mellowness or brilliance, using sanding paddles, lacquer, or needles
  12. 12. Remove irregularities from tuning pins, strings, and hammers of pianos, using wood blocks or filing tools

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners: O*NET ranks Quality Control Analysis first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 49-9063 - lead skill Quality Control Analysis at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Quality Control Analysis 3.9
  2. 2. Troubleshooting 3.8
  3. 3. Repairing 3.8
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.6
  5. 5. Service Orientation 3.1
  6. 6. Complex Problem Solving 3.1
  7. 7. Judgment and Decision Making 3.1
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.3
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.8
  3. 3. Fine Arts 3.5
  4. 4. English Language 3.4
  5. 5. Administration and Management 2.9
  6. 6. Sales and Marketing 2.9
Pay vs Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations peers
-38%
vs mid peer median $74,340
This role $46,420/yr
$46K
National median
↑ +1%
Growth 2024-2034
600
Annual openings
5,380
Estimated US jobs
Signal and Track Switch Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $92K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

1. Oregon $54,800
2. Utah $50,180
3. Maryland $55,130
4. Tennessee $58,730
5. Maine $48,530
6. Illinois $49,250
7. Connecticut $52,940
8. Michigan $59,570
9. New York $53,420
10. New Jersey $58,730

Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations titles

  1. 1. Watch and Clock Repairers $67,230
  2. 2. Avionics Technicians $82,280
  3. 3. Commercial Divers $72,990
  4. 4. Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines $65,510
  5. 5. Signal and Track Switch Repairers $92,460
  6. 6. Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other $68,990

Among Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations peers on this card, Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners sits 38% below the mid peer median ($74,340). Its own median is $46,420.

Employment Projections expect +1% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 600 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Oregon at $54,800. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Signal and Track Switch Repairers at $92,460. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners pay-rank #47 in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

On the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations median table (51 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners lands at #47, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners pays 38% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 49-9063

Oregon · top state for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

$55K published median

Utah · #2 state pay

$50K · behind Oregon

Signal and Track Switch Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners · $92K

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines

Lower-pay peer beside Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners · $66K

Compare Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

Against another occupation

Signal and Track Switch Repairers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners land on the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations median table? ▼
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners is pay-rank #47 of 51 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installers ($46K), Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers ($47K), Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers ($48K), Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers ($48K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do musical instrument repairers and tuners do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners. Leading ones include: Align pads and keys on reed or wind instruments; Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices; Solder posts and parts to hold them in their proper places; Compare instrument pitches with tuning tool pitches to tune instruments. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for musical instrument repairers and tuners? ▼
For SOC 49-9063, O*NET importance scores lead with Quality Control Analysis (3.9), Troubleshooting (3.8), Repairing (3.8), Critical Thinking (3.6). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, Fine Arts. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $46,420 as the national median for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners. The published 10th-90th range is $31,220 to $71,600. Beside Signal and Track Switch Repairers ($92,460), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners is +1%. Projected annual openings: about 600. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners? ▼
Oregon ($54,800), Utah ($50,180), Maryland ($55,130) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 49-9063. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics