Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners Salary
The median pay for a musical instrument repairers and tuners in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is $55,470/year ($26.67/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.49), that's roughly $53,086 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,857/month, about 51.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson’s Regional Price Parity (104.49). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About musical instrument repairers and tuners
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What this looks like in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson sits well above the national pay line for musical instrument repairers and tuners, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,857/month, which is 50.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.49) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for musical instrument repairers and tuners in metros near Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $39K | $41K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $52K | $48K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $50K | $49K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $64K | $64K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Entry-level musical instrument repairers and tuners (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $40K spread from bottom to top.
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | $60K | +28% | 210 |
| New Jersey | $59K | +27% | 200 |
| Tennessee | $59K | +27% | 300 |
| Maryland | $55K | +19% | 160 |
| Oregon | $55K | +18% | 40 |
| New York | $53K | +15% | 270 |
| Connecticut | $53K | +14% | 40 |
| Utah | $50K | +8% | 60 |
| Illinois | $49K | +6% | 200 |
| Maine | $49K | +5% | 90 |
| Texas | $48K | +4% | 580 |
| California | $48K | +2% | 520 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | +2% | 240 |
| Missouri | $47K | +2% | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +1% | 130 |
| North Dakota | $47K | +1% | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +0% | 180 |
| Virginia | $45K | -3% | 120 |
| South Carolina | $45K | -3% | 90 |
| Minnesota | $44K | -5% | 100 |
| Florida | $44K | -5% | 140 |
| Kansas | $44K | -6% | 80 |
| Colorado | $44K | -6% | 70 |
| Washington | $43K | -7% | 150 |
| North Carolina | $43K | -7% | N/A |
| Ohio | $40K | -14% | 230 |
| West Virginia | $39K | -16% | 30 |
| Iowa | $39K | -17% | 90 |
| Nevada | $39K | -17% | 90 |
| Indiana | $38K | -17% | 150 |
| Arizona | $38K | -18% | 110 |
| Oklahoma | $31K | -33% | 60 |
| Georgia | $30K | -36% | 100 |
| Mississippi | $24K | -48% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 34 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track musical instrument repairers and tuners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Baltimore-Columbia-Towson numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a musical instrument repairers and tuner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 50.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,857/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for musical instrument repairers and tuners in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new musical instrument repairers and tuners typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,472/month. At HUD’s $1,857/month FMR, rent would take 75% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is musical instrument repairers and tuner a high-paying job in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $55K here vs. $46K nationally.
How does Baltimore-Columbia-Towson compare to the national average for musical instrument repairers and tuners?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do musical instrument repairers and tuners make in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The median is $55,470 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,200, and experienced musical instrument repairers and tuners can clear $81,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,679/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,857/month, which eats 50.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a musical instrument repairers and tuners salary go in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson has a Regional Price Parity of 104.49 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median musical instrument repairers and tuners salary is worth about $53,086 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do musical instrument repairers and tuners get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.
