Music Degree in St. Louis, MO — Salary & ROI 2026
Music degree analysis for St. Louis, MO. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$39K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$53K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
17.4 yrs
in St. Louis
Cost of Living
97
index (100 = avg)
Music in St. Louis, MO Overview
St. Louis is one of Missouri's top college towns, with 23 institutions and a student population of 23,342. Public tuition averages $12,343/year here — near the national average for public universities. 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 St. Louis is approximately $38,800.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
23
Public Tuition
$12,343/yr
Private Tuition
$55,255/yr
Room & Board
$8,721/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$9,996/yr
Unemployment
4.5%
Graduation Rate
48%
Music Salary in St. Louis (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for St. Louis's cost of living index of 97 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Music salary: $40,000 starting, $55,000 mid-career, $68,000 senior level.St. Louis adjustment factor: 0.97x based on the local cost of living index.
Music ROI Calculator for St. Louis
Estimate your return on investment for a Music degree using local St. Louis tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $12,343 | Private avg: $55,255
St. Louis avg aid: $9,996/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$84,256
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$4,850
vs HS diploma in St. Louis
ROI Payback Period
17.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in St. Louis
$12,744
Lifetime earnings premium ($97,000) minus total education cost ($84,256)
Student Loan Payoff for Music in St. Louis
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in St. Louis for Music
Washington University in St. Louis
private
$60,590/yr
$242,360 total
Saint Louis University
private
$49,920/yr
$199,680 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
St. Louis Community College
$3,600/yr
Top Employers for Music in St. Louis
St. Louis offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Music graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key St. Louis Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Music Job Titles
Music in Nearby Missouri Cities
Kansas City, MO
$38K starting · COL 94
44 colleges
Springfield, MO
$32K starting · COL 80
5 colleges
Columbia, MO
$34K starting · COL 84
10 colleges
Independence, MO
$34K starting · COL 85.8
5 colleges
Lee's Summit, MO
$38K starting · COL 95.5
4 colleges
OFallon, MO
$35K starting · COL 87.3
4 colleges
St. Joseph, MO
$36K starting · COL 90.4
3 colleges
St. Charles, MO
$33K starting · COL 83.4
3 colleges
Other Humanities Majors in St. Louis
Chinese Studies
$53K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$49K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$43K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$49K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$41K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$43K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$49K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$41K starting · 5 yr ROI
Music Degree in St. Louis — 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 St. Louis.