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Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.
Other titles employers use
Brass Instrument Repair Technician (Brass Instrument Repair Tech) · Fretted String Instrument Repairer · Guitar Repairer · Instrument Repair Technician (Instrument Repair Tech) · Luthier · Musical Instrument Repair Technician (Musical Instrument Repair Tech) · Piano Technician (Piano Tech) · Piano Tuner
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical, organizing and creative work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Quality Control Analysis
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Critical Thinking
- Service Orientation
- Complex Problem Solving
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Fine Arts
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Hearing Sensitivity
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Manual Dexterity
- Finger Dexterity
- Near Vision
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.3 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 2.8 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.5 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.9 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A certificate or some college 59%
- High school or less 27%
- A four-year degree 9%
- A two-year degree 5%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Analytical or scientific software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 580
- Job openings each year
- 60
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 18.4%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 580 | 60 | 18.4% |
| Texas | 530 | 50 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 440 | 40 | 4.8% |
| Virginia | 400 | 40 | −4.8% |
| Maryland | 370 | 30 | −5.1% |
| Washington | 370 | 40 | — |
| Illinois | 360 | 30 | −7.7% |
| New York | 350 | 0 | −2.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 310 | 30 | — |
| Indiana | 230 | 20 | −11.5% |
| North Carolina | 220 | 20 | — |
| Wisconsin | 210 | 20 | 10.5% |
| Missouri | 190 | 20 | 5.6% |
| New Jersey | 180 | 10 | −14.3% |
| Minnesota | 130 | 10 | — |
| Ohio | 120 | 10 | — |
| Kansas | 110 | 10 | −8.3% |
| Michigan | 110 | 10 | −15.4% |
| Connecticut | 100 | 10 | — |
| Utah | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| Arizona | 90 | 10 | — |
| Iowa | 90 | 10 | — |
| Kentucky | 90 | 10 | — |
| Colorado | 80 | 10 | — |
| South Carolina | 70 | 10 | 16.7% |
| Alabama | 60 | 10 | — |
| Oklahoma | 50 | 10 | −16.7% |
| Rhode Island | 50 | 0 | — |
| Nebraska | 40 | 0 | — |
| Arkansas | 30 | 0 | — |
| New Hampshire | 30 | 0 | −25.0% |
| Idaho | 20 | 0 | 100.0% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.