According to a new survey conducted by The Musicians’ Union and Help Musicians, almost 50% of working musicians in the UK are earning less than £14k annually. Based on data gathered from approximately 6,000 active musicians in the country, the Musicians’ Census found that over 70% of the respondents possess a degree or higher qualification, but over half of them need to work three to four jobs to make ends meet.
The census also revealed an ethnicity pay gap, with white respondents earning nearly £1,000 more than those who identify as coming from the Global Majority. Moreover, the survey indicated that disabled musicians face a pay gap of roughly £4,000 when compared to non-disabled musicians, even though one-third of the former group relies solely on music income.
In stark contrast to such findings, 23% of all musicians surveyed shared that their work was not enough to support themselves or their families. An anonymous 50-year-old male from Scotland, one of the respondents, shared that he works five days a week and is a community musician with nearly twenty years of experience, but still earns less than the UK average salary.
Produced as the first of its kind, the Musicians’ Census offers valuable data to inform decision-making processes when creating policy frameworks or other industry-led initiatives aimed at improving the financial outlook of the UK’s working musicians. The census is available to the public here
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