Singer
Singers use their voice as the main instrument, performing songs live and in recordings for audiences, producers and directors.
- Median salary*
- $62,400
3.7%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 590
1.7%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +11%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 43/wk
+3h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Singers work wherever music is made and heard: concert halls, pubs, musical theatre stages, recording studios, and sessions for film, television and advertising. The line between a singer and a musician is often blurred, but a singer is usually the voice a song is built around, while an instrumentalist may sing backing parts. Most singers are freelancers who piece together gigs, sessions, teaching and other work rather than holding a single job, and about 590 people work in the role.
How much do singers earn?
The median full-time salary for a singer is $62,400 per annum, before tax, up $13,300 since 2018.
Singers are usually paid per gig, session or contract, so annual earnings depend on how much work you pick up and how well it pays. Function and covers work often brings a set fee plus travel, studio session rates are set by the client or negotiated through the musicians' union, and royalties collected through APRA AMCOS add income when a recording gets played. Teaching, session backing vocals or an unrelated day job often fill the gaps between engagements.
What does a singer do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Interpreting songs, arrangements and a director's or producer's brief
- Rehearsing with bands, accompanists, conductors and other performers
- Performing live at concerts, functions, shows and events
- Recording vocals in studios for releases, film, television and advertising
- Looking after vocal health through warm-ups, rest and ongoing technique work
What skills do singers need?
Employers look for content creation and writing, creative software production, backed by Logic Pro fluency and strong written communication.
Specialist skills
- Content creation and writing
- Creative software production
Software and tools
- Logic Pro
- Pro Tools
- Ableton Live
- Melodyne
- Sibelius
General skills
- Written communication
- Presenting and data storytelling
- Attention to detail
- Time and deadline management
- Problem solving
Is the job growing?
About 590 people work as singers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 11% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become a singer?
Here's the path most singers take, step by step.
- 1Build your voice and musicianship
Regular lessons with a singing teacher, graded exams through AMEB or a similar board, and daily practice give you the technique and ear that auditions test. Singing in choirs, school productions or a covers band builds the stage time that matters as much as the notes.
- 2Study a qualification if it suits your direction
A Bachelor of Music or a diploma in contemporary or classical performance at a university or private music college gives you structured training, a network and access to auditions. About 29% of working singers hold a bachelor degree, though plenty work without one.
- 3Get in front of audiences
Open mic nights, community theatre, weddings, church music and backing vocal work are the usual starting points, and early gigs are often unpaid or low paid. Each one adds recordings, contacts and credits you can show a booker.
- 4Set up the business side
Register an ABN, keep a simple record of gig fees and expenses, and join APRA AMCOS so you collect royalties when your recordings are played. A short demo reel and a one-page biography are what promoters and producers ask for first.
- 5Specialise or diversify
Most singers end up known for something: musical theatre, jazz, opera, session work, children's entertainment or fronting a function band. Adding teaching, arranging or an instrument widens the work available when performance bookings are thin.
Ready to apply as a singer?
Whether you're working toward becoming a singer or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a singer move to?
Moving into Music Teacher typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $68,500 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music Teacher Singers bring vocal expertise and performance experience to music teaching, but a teaching degree is required to work in schools.Known move | +$68,500 | 17% | requalify |
| Tutor Singers can tutor students in voice or music, using performance knowledge, with further study to build teaching skills.Known move | +$68,500 | 11% | reskill |
| Musician Singers already read music and perform, so they can move into instrumental or band work with minimal extra training. | +$29,400 | 83% | minimal |
| Entertainer Singers can broaden into entertainment work, using stagecraft and audience rapport, with a short course to add variety skills.Known move | −$2,600 | 53% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a singer?
The typical singer is 37 years old; 53% are women, 25% work full-time, and full-timers average 43 hours a week.
- 37
- Median age
- 53%
- Female share
- 25%
- Full-time
- +3h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a singer?
The work runs in bursts: quiet weeks of practice, admin and auditions, then intense periods of rehearsals and performances, often at night and on weekends. Singers who last tend to be self-directed, comfortable promoting themselves and resilient about rejection, because the next booking usually depends on someone you have already impressed. The voice is also a physical instrument, so illness, fatigue and overuse directly affect whether you can work.
What people like
- A live audience responds in real time. A room that sings a chorus back or goes quiet at the right moment gives immediate feedback that studio work and practice never quite match.
- You shape how a song is heard. Within what a composer or producer wants, phrasing, tone and dynamics are yours to decide, and that interpretation is what people remember.
- The work changes constantly. A week might hold a corporate function, a studio session and a musical theatre rehearsal, so the same skills get used in very different settings.
- You choose much of your own schedule. Freelance singing means saying yes or no to gigs, which suits people who want to fit performance around study, family or other work.
What people find hard
- Income arrives unevenly. Fees come per gig or session, invoices can take months to be paid, and a cancelled tour or quiet January can wipe out a month's earnings.
- Your instrument can let you down. A cold, a strained voice or too many consecutive shows can force you to cancel work, and there is no way to perform around it the way an instrumentalist might.
- Auditions mean regular rejection. Most applications end in no reply or a no, and the roles that do come through are often decided by factors well outside your control.
- Nights, weekends and travel are normal. Load-ins, sound checks and late finishes mean unsocial hours, and touring or regional gigs add long drives on top of the performance itself.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ singers?
Arts and Recreation Services employs the largest share of singers, followed by Other Services.
Top employing industries
- 1Arts and Recreation Services
- 2Other Services
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Year 12 or below | 31.3% | |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor degree | 28.7% | |
| Postgraduate | 13.7% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 13% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 11.1% |
Will AI replace singers?
AI touches the studio side of singing more than the stage side. Pitch correction software such as Melodyne and AI-assisted vocal editing are now routine in commercial recording, and synthetic or cloned voices are used for demos, backing tracks and some advertising, which reduces demand for straightforward session vocals. What holds the exposure at a moderate level is that audiences book a person: live performance, interpretation, stage presence and the relationships that lead to bookings are not things a model supplies.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Performing live on stageA concert, function or musical theatre show depends on a real voice in a real room, and no software can stand in for a singer reading the crowd on the night.35%low
- Recording vocals in a studioPitch correction and vocal editing are standard now, so a usable take can be assembled from fewer perfect passes, though producers still hire a voice with a particular tone and phrasing.25%moderate
- Rehearsing and maintaining your voiceWarm-ups, repertoire practice and managing vocal health are physical work, and a software tool can flag pitch or timing but cannot build stamina or repair a tired voice.20%low
- Admin, booking and self-promotionDrafting emails to venues, writing biographies and cutting demo reels can be sped up with AI tools, but the relationships and the judgement about which gigs to take stay with the singer.20%moderate
Moves least exposed to AI
These career moves from singer work are rated low for AI exposure:
- Music Teacher
Some skill overlap (17%), requalify to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
- Entertainer
Solid skill overlap (53%), short course to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
- Musician
High skill overlap (83%), little retraining to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
Common questions about becoming a singer
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do singers earn in Australia?
The median for full-time singers is $62,400 per year before tax, though earnings vary widely because most work is paid per gig, session or contract rather than as a salary. A steady function band, musical theatre contract or regular session work pays more reliably than occasional original-music shows, and teaching or royalties can add to the total.
How do you become a singer?
There is no single entry requirement, but most working singers combine vocal training with as much performance as they can get. Lessons help you protect your voice and pass auditions, and a music degree or diploma adds theory, ensemble experience and industry contacts, though it is not compulsory. Start performing early in choirs, open mics, community theatre or covers bands, then build a recorded demo and a network of bookers and accompanists.
Are singers in demand in Australia?
Singers are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 11% over the decade to 2035. The work is concentrated in arts and recreation services, and much of it is freelance, so steady income depends on how well you can combine performance with teaching, session work or entertainment bookings. Build several income streams rather than relying on one.
Will AI replace singers?
AI has made inroads into parts of the job, but it has not replaced the performance itself. Pitch correction tools such as Melodyne and AI-assisted vocal production are now standard in studios, and synthetic voices are used for demos, backing tracks and some advertising work, which trims demand for low-cost session vocals. Live performance, interpretation, stage presence and the working relationships that generate bookings remain human, so the role is changing rather than disappearing.
What other work can singers move into?
Moving into band or instrumental work as a musician uses skills you already have, since singers read music and perform, and median pay for that role is $29,400 more. Teaching is the other common path, with music teachers on $68,500 more, though school teaching needs a teaching qualification while private tutoring needs less. Broader entertainment work as an entertainer is a short step for stagecraft and audience rapport, with median pay $2,600 less.
Do singers need an agent or manager?
Not to start, but an agent becomes useful once you are turning down work or need someone to handle bookings and negotiate fees. Agents typically take a commission from each booking, so they need to be bringing you work you would not find yourself. Until then, booking your own gigs and keeping a simple contact list, fee record and demo reel does the job.
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