RECORDING ARTIST

Description: Recording artists are singers or musicians who perform on stage, radio, television, or in motion pictures, and who often write their own music.

Knowledge Required: Fine arts, music theory and history, creative writing, sales and marketing, business management

Skills: Speaking, active listening, stage presence, vocal abilities, instrumental abilities, oral expression, creativity

Career Path: Successful recording artists undergo extensive training to acquire the knowledge necessary to interpret music at a professional level. Recording artists may sing in choirs, take vocal lessons, instrumental lessons, or musical theater in high school and college.

Best Cities for this job: Recording artists will do well in large metropolitan areas with a concentration of entertainment cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Nashville.

Median Annual Income: Annual wage data is not available because of the variation in hours worked and the short-term nature of the job. The national median hourly income is $29.10 and the California median hourly income is $35.02.

Future Growth: Employment of musicians, singers, and related workers is expected to grow 8 percent during the 2008–18 decade, as fast as the average for all occupations.

From the field: ”That's what I love about [songwriting] – that it helps me to connect with people. It helps me to know myself, it helps others to know me." – Adesha Adefela