Just how hard is it to make a living as a professional clarinetist?

I got an email from someone today who is going through a bit of soul searching as a college Freshman. They are worried, naturally, about their career prospects as a clarinetist. Here, I'll let their email explain.

Just how hard is it to make a living as a professional clarinetist?

I am currently an undergrad freshman pursuing a bachelor's in music. I am currently studying on a full-tuition scholarship with an EXTREMELY high profile clarinetist with whom it was my life's goal to study with. However, I always hear stories about people who fizzled out and ended up quitting music as a result of not getting into orchestras.

My teacher told me that orchestras are on the decline and many are folding and that freelancing will likely be my main source of income after graduation. However, I cannot help but wonder: is freelancing going to pay the bills? I have no interest in being rich but surely I would need a full-time job for some stability because I need to eat, pay rent, have insurance, pay for gas, etc. and being able to do that without relying on others is extremely important to me. 

I know the live music industry is on a decline, so how can I make a living out of this? How far can just a music performance degree get you? Is it worth the risk? I have been considering transferring to a different school so I can double major in music and another unrelated field just so I can get a job and financial independence after graduation. Maybe having a day job completely unrelated to music and then gigging on the side. Is that a good idea? Do you think having two degrees is beneficial?

Based on your experience, I'd be curious as to what your thoughts are on this.

Here's my response. It doesn't answer the questions specifically, but it lays out a few alternate realities that are close to home. 

Simply put, it is hard to make a living SOLELY as a performing clarinetist. Even if you’re really, really good.

The odds are just not in your favor. Let’s do the numbers: when you audition for a major orchestra on clarinet, you’ll see 200-250 applicants. Many of them are from other professional orchestras who are looking to move. These people aren’t just good, they know how to win auditions (which in itself is a crucially important skill). Sure, you have people who have no business being there, but out of that applicant pool, at least 30-40 could win the job. 30-40 highly qualified, experienced applicants for one seat. Auditions for smaller orchestras have fewer applicants but still there are a bunch who could easily do the job well.

How about money?

Major orchestras can pay a salary that you can live on without doing something else, though most orchestral clarinetists do teach at universities. These are the “52-week-per-year” orchestras with full seasons.

• The New York Philharmonic has a base salary of $205,000, which will increase to about $250,000 over three years (some musicians make more than that, and principal players even more.)
• The Chicago Symphony has a base salary of about $138,000 a year.
• LA Phil base salary is about $155,000.
• Cleveland Orchestra is about $140,000.
• San Francisco Symphony is about $172,000.
• Boston Symphony Orchestra is about $120,000.

Those are the top 6 orchestras in the country.

Let’s go down a tier to orchestras that are still in major metropolitan areas, but which do not have full seasons.

• Detroit Symphony: $108,000.
• St Louis Symphony: $98,000.
• Milwaukee Symphony: $75,000.
• Houston Symphony: $109,000.

I suppose you could survive on that — but those are bigger cities where it’s more expensive to live.

Let’s go down another tier to "Regional orchestras,” which are typically “per-service” orchestras. (This means you are paid separately for each rehearsal, and each concert. And there are often no guarantees year to year, so the yearly figures that follow are not set in stone).

• Akron Symphony: $54,000.
• Harrisburg Symphony: $81,000.
• Richmond Symphony: $37,000.
• Las Vegas Philharmonic: $75,000.
• Charleston Symphony: $31,000.

Most players start out their careers in a regional orchestra. I have a former student who plays simultaneously in TWO regional orchestras, and has a third job outside of music. But you can see the numbers above, and understand why.

This is not meant to discourage you. Remember, most players have multiple “jobs”: Orchestra, perhaps teaching at a local university, private students, and freelancing. With those, you can make a living in music and survive. You’ll just be…busy.

I took a different path. 

I “double-majored” in life. I played in a per-service orchestra (NJ Symphony), and freelanced with a lot of the big groups in NY: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Steve Reich and Musicians, Bang on a Can All Stars, and a ton of groups you will never have heard of. All told, I made about $35,000 in 1999, which adjusted for inflation would be $66,700 today. That was not enough to support my family, so I ALSO had a second career in advertising. That job — it was the early days of the internet, so I was part of the first people to work in “digital advertising” — helped pay the bills. And I enjoyed it a lot. I was able to freelance as a musician AND freelance in advertising, so when I had a tour or something, I could leave the ad job for a few weeks, and still come back to the same gig when the tour was over. It was convenient in a way I’m not sure still exists in the workplace.

Fast forward a few years to 2005, and I got a job offer from an ad agency that I couldn’t turn down. In today’s dollars, it was almost $150,000 a year. But it would require me to give up all of the orchestra and most of the freelancing work I had done previously, so it was a big decision. So I thought about it this way: looking back on my life as an 80-year old, would I have rather “fulfilled my destiny as a clarinet player,” or would I rather have watched my kid grow up and be present for all of those important life events? The answer was pretty simple when I considered it. I resigned from all of my regular gigs, and joined the ad agency (McCann).

2005 was also the year YouTube was founded. I started doing stuff on that new platform. I already understood internet algorithms (which were less opaque back then!) so I knew how to "find my audience," and slowly built my following online. (By the way, back then, it was embarrassing to be “internet famous” since that was not “real” notoriety, so I kept most of this a secret from my ad agency co-workers!)

Times have changed…. But here’s the crazy thing though: I became more fulfilled, more well-known, more successful, AFTER I “left” music for the “real world.” These were the most fun years of my life (so far). I was able to be home with my family, I was able to not worry about where my next gig was coming from, or have to shmooze contractors, or deal with chasing after a late paycheck. I could do music on my terms, and I could do everything else, too.

Fast forward another 20 years, and I retired from the advertising world in 2024, leaving my cushy gig at Amazon, to once again focus on what I love: helping others (like yourself) with music and clarinet-related questions, being a dealer for instruments and accessories, and being self-sufficient (i.e., not working for someone else). I play about 25 solo concerts each year which I couldn't do as easily when I worked "a job". Oh, and making videos on YouTube. That's actually the most stressful part of the job: coming up with crap to make videos about.

Lean into what makes you unique.

So, that’s me. I had a set of skills unique to me — I understand the (bass) clarinet, and teaching, and marketing, and internet algorithms, and programming...and developed my “voice” with all of those interests front-and-center. And I’m pretty good at those things.

You will have different skills that are unique to you. Embrace them. And if you don't know what they are yet, just follow your instincts.

Finally, a word of advice.

Here’s one thing that people don’t necessarily tell you: You can be good at more than one thing, and you don’t have to only do one thing as a career. Here’s a corollary to that statement: If you do something in addition to music, it does not mean you failed at music.

Right now, you have a great opportunity to explore. You’re just beginning your college adventure, and you can learn and hone your craft on the clarinet (and you should!). You can ALSO learn other skills that are adjunct to clarinet performance (Recording arts? Composition? Conducting? Arts Administration? The list goes on and on), AND you can learn other skills entirely (astrophysics, robotics, AI). Please notice that I’m using the word “AND" and "ALSO" a lot. I’m not using “OR”. Because this is not a binary decision.

You can do it!

I hope this helps you as you make your way in college, and in your decision making process. I wish you tons of success and lots of luck.

-Mike