Music Degree in San Antonio, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Music degree analysis for San Antonio, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$48K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$66K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
14.3 yrs
in San Antonio
Cost of Living
120
index (100 = avg)
Music in San Antonio, TX Overview
San Antonio is one of Texas's top college towns, with 58 institutions and a student population of 95,539. Public tuition averages $10,740/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 San Antonio is approximately $48,000.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
58
Public Tuition
$10,740/yr
Private Tuition
$40,722/yr
Room & Board
$10,768/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$13,745/yr
Unemployment
4.8%
Graduation Rate
66%
Music Salary in San Antonio (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for San Antonio's cost of living index of 120 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Music salary: $40,000 starting, $55,000 mid-career, $68,000 senior level.San Antonio adjustment factor: 1.20x based on the local cost of living index.
Music ROI Calculator for San Antonio
Estimate your return on investment for a Music degree using local San Antonio tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,740 | Private avg: $40,722
San Antonio avg aid: $13,745/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$86,032
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$6,000
vs HS diploma in San Antonio
ROI Payback Period
14.3 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in San Antonio
$33,968
Lifetime earnings premium ($120,000) minus total education cost ($86,032)
Student Loan Payoff for Music in San Antonio
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in San Antonio for Music
University of Texas at San Antonio
public
$10,740/yr
$42,960 total
Trinity University
private
$47,908/yr
$191,632 total
St. Mary's University
private
$33,536/yr
$134,144 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Alamo Colleges
$2,604/yr
Top Employers for Music in San Antonio
San Antonio offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Music graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key San Antonio Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Music Job Titles
Music in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$46K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
Dallas, TX
$42K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Austin, TX
$43K starting · COL 107
30 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$40K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
El Paso, TX
$37K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Arlington, TX
$37K starting · COL 93.5
14 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$33K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Plano, TX
$34K starting · COL 85
9 colleges
Other Humanities Majors in San Antonio
Chinese Studies
$66K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$60K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$53K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$60K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$50K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$53K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$60K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$50K starting · 5 yr ROI
Music Degree in San Antonio — 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 San Antonio.