Sacred Music

Types of Degrees Sacred Music Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many sacred music graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	124
Doctor’s Degree	28
Graduate Certificate	15

What Sacred Music Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to sacred music and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Sacred Music Majors

Sacred Music majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

Skills for Sacred Music Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to sacred music:

• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Sacred Music Majors

Sacred Music majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Sacred Music Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with sacred music:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Music Directors	5.7%	$49,630
Philosophy and Religion Professors	12.3%	$71,890

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Sacred Music?

This major attracts more men than women. About 62% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of sacred music majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	6
Black or African American	13
Hispanic or Latino	7
White	72
International Students	11
Other Races/Ethnicities	15

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Sacred Music. About 8.9% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• South Korea
• Brazil
• Canada
• Nigeria
• India

How Much Do Sacred Music Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in sacred music was $34,920 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $32,030 (25th percentile) and $37,811 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in sacred music, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $59,790 to $82,420 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to sacred music. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Sacred Music

Some careers associated with sacred music require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for sacred music careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.5%
Some College Courses	0.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	14.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.1%
Master’s Degree	17.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.3%
Doctoral Degree	55.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	6.4%

Online Sacred Music Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 158 schools offered some type of sacred music program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	6	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	23	4
Bachelor’s Degree	11	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	43	5
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	8	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Sacred Music Worth It?

The median salary for a sacred music grad is $59,790 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 50% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $397,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Sacred Music

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to sacred music.

Major	Number of Grads
Theological & Ministerial Studies	12,534
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries	1,624
Biblical Studies	1,052
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other)	777
Religious Education	687
Missionary Studies	423
Religious Institution Administration and Law	23

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Jackerhack under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.