Music Degree in New York, NY — Salary & ROI 2026
Music degree analysis for New York, NY. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$75K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$103K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
12.4 yrs
in New York
Cost of Living
187.2
index (100 = avg)
Music in New York, NY Overview
New York is one of New York's top college towns, with 279 institutions and a student population of 418,559. Public tuition averages $10,200/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 is approximately $74,880.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
279
Public Tuition
$10,200/yr
Private Tuition
$42,000/yr
Room & Board
$18,701/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,243/yr
Unemployment
4.6%
Graduation Rate
59%
Music Salary in New York (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for New York's cost of living index of 187.2 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Music salary: $40,000 starting, $55,000 mid-career, $68,000 senior level.New York adjustment factor: 1.87x based on the local cost of living index.
Music ROI Calculator for New York
Estimate your return on investment for a Music degree using local New York tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,200 | Private avg: $42,000
New York avg aid: $8,243/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$115,604
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$9,360
vs HS diploma in New York
ROI Payback Period
12.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in New York
$71,596
Lifetime earnings premium ($187,200) minus total education cost ($115,604)
Student Loan Payoff for Music in New York
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in New York for Music
New York State University
public
$9,794/yr
$39,176 total
University of New York
public
$10,109/yr
$40,436 total
New York Institute of Technology
private
$38,089/yr
$152,356 total
New York University - New York
public
$10,609/yr
$42,436 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
New York Community College
$7,506/yr
New York Technical College - New York
$8,204/yr
Top Employers for Music in New York
New York offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Music graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key New York Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Music Job Titles
Music in Nearby New York Cities
New York City, NY
$66K starting · COL 166
49 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
Chinese Studies
$103K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$94K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$82K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$94K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$79K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$82K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$94K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$79K starting · 5 yr ROI
Music Degree in New York — 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.