Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

ManufacturingO*NET 49-9063.00United States

Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $39,303
Projected change: +2.9%
Typical education: Certificate
Employment: 11.16K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What musical instrument repairers and tuners do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.
Compare instrument pitches with tuning tool pitches to tune instruments.
Play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects.
Disassemble instruments and parts for repair and adjustment.
Repair or replace musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts, and keys, using hand and power tools.
Reassemble instruments following repair, using hand tools and power tools and glue, hair, yarn, resin, or clamps, and lubricate instruments as necessary.
Inspect instruments to locate defects, and to determine their value or the level of restoration required.
Shape old parts and replacement parts to improve tone or intonation, using hand tools, lathes, or soldering irons.
String instruments, and adjust trusses and bridges of instruments to obtain specified string tensions and heights.
Repair cracks in wood or metal instruments, using pinning wire, lathes, fillers, clamps, or soldering irons.
Polish instruments, using rags and polishing compounds, buffing wheels, or burnishing tools.
Mix and measure glue that will be used for instrument repair.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $19,779
25th percentile: $27,572
50th percentile: $39,303
75th percentile: $59,628
90th percentile: $95,019

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $39,303 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+2.9%average or slower

202511,157 jobs

2035 projected11,475 jobs

318 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Certificate: 54.5%
High school diploma or less: 27.3%
Bachelor's degree: 9.1%
Some college: 4.6%
Associate degree: 4.6%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Guitars
Retail Operations
Selling Techniques
Product Knowledge
Inventory Management
Stringed Instruments
Workflow Management
Lifting Ability
Hammers
Hand Tools
Electronics
Woodworking
Calibration
Construction
Effective Communication
High Voltage
Instrumentation
Maintenance Scheduling
Music Education
Public Works

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
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.
Equipment Selection: Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Guitar Technicians2,041 postings
02Guitar Repair Technicians692 postings
03Piano Technicians37 postings
04Piano Technicians/Tuners3 postings
05Instrument and Controls Technicians2 postings
06Instrumentation Technicians2 postings
07Piano Players2 postings
08Leads Guitar1 postings
09Singers/Guitarists1 postings
10Tourist Guides1 postings

Top employers

01Guitar Center Stores2,717 postings
02University of Houston3 postings
03Binghamton University2 postings
04Herc2 postings
05Indiana University-Bloomington2 postings
06Johns Hopkins University2 postings
07Seminole Tribe Of Florida2 postings
08Steinway2 postings
09Steinway Musical Instruments2 postings
10University of Georgia2 postings
11Akt International Pte Ltd1 postings
12Avery Piano Company1 postings
13Baylor University1 postings
14City of Baltimore1 postings
15Eastern Michigan University1 postings
16Jackson Pianos1 postings
17Mayor And City Council Of Baltimore1 postings
18Menchey Music Service1 postings
19Monkton Guitars1 postings
20Northampton County Area Community College1 postings

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