Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Also called: Accordion Repairer, Accordion Tuner, Band Instrument Repair Technician (Band Instrument Repair Tech), Band Instrument Repairer, Banjo Repairer, Bow Repairer, Brass and Wind Instrument Repairer, Brass Instrument Repair Technician (Brass Instrument Repair Tech)
Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments.
What musical instrument repairers and tuners do
Typical tasks
- 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.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners salary
The median annual wage for musical instrument repairers and tuners is $46,420 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $31,220 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $71,600. The mean annual wage is $49,960.
The mean hourly wage of $24.00 is 3.3× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $46,420 → in 3 years $50,600 → in 5 years $53,700 → in 10 years $62,000 (10-year range $53,300–$72,000). The model assumes pay growth of +2.9% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners United States | ピアノ調律師 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $46,420 | ¥5.83M ≈ $37,094 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $62,000 | ¥7.65M |
| Outlook score | 47 | 60 |
| AI replacement risk | 44% Moderate | 39% Low |
| Workers | 5,380 | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become musical instrument repairers and tuners
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as musical instrument repairers and tuners
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.