Music Degree in New York City, NY — Salary & ROI 2026
Music degree analysis for New York City, NY. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$66K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$91K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
12.4 yrs
in New York City
Cost of Living
166
index (100 = avg)
Music in New York City, NY Overview
New York City is one of New York's top college towns, with 49 institutions and a student population of 741,375. Public tuition averages $7,340/year here — well below the national average, making it a cost-effective choice. Although national enrollment in Music has been declining, graduates with skills in Performance and Music Theory remain competitive in the job market. The adjusted starting salary in New York City is approximately $66,400.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
49
Public Tuition
$7,340/yr
Private Tuition
$61,846/yr
Room & Board
$18,386/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,784/yr
Unemployment
5.7%
Graduation Rate
70%
Music Salary in New York City (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for New York City's cost of living index of 166 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Music salary: $40,000 starting, $55,000 mid-career, $68,000 senior level.New York City adjustment factor: 1.66x based on the local cost of living index.
Music ROI Calculator for New York City
Estimate your return on investment for a Music degree using local New York City tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $7,340 | Private avg: $61,846
New York City avg aid: $15,784/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$102,904
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$8,300
vs HS diploma in New York City
ROI Payback Period
12.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in New York City
$63,096
Lifetime earnings premium ($166,000) minus total education cost ($102,904)
Student Loan Payoff for Music in New York City
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in New York City for Music
New York University
private
$58,168/yr
$232,672 total
Columbia University
private
$65,524/yr
$262,096 total
CUNY
public
$7,340/yr
$29,360 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
BMCC
$5,218/yr
Top Employers for Music in New York City
New York City offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Music graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key New York City Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Music Job Titles
Music in Nearby New York Cities
New York, NY
$75K starting · COL 187.2
279 colleges
Oyster Bay, NY
$58K starting · COL 145
11 colleges
Buffalo, NY
$49K starting · COL 122
10 colleges
North Hempstead, NY
$57K starting · COL 141.3
9 colleges
Babylon, NY
$61K starting · COL 152.3
8 colleges
Yonkers, NY
$58K starting · COL 145.3
8 colleges
Rochester, NY
$56K starting · COL 140
13 colleges
Huntington, NY
$54K starting · COL 135.6
8 colleges
Other Humanities Majors in New York City
Chinese Studies
$91K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$83K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$73K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$83K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$70K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$73K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$83K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$70K starting · 5 yr ROI
Music Degree in New York City — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Music ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in New York City.