2) Music
Starting salary: $37,500
Mid-career salary: $55,400
Annual online job postings: 4,253
Related job: Music composer
Projected 10-year job growth: 8.8%
Like acting, musical abilities are not a ticket to fame and fortune. The typical musician or singer pulls in about $41,700 a year, and the professions are expected to add just 9.2% more positions in the coming decade. Music directors and composers earn a bit more, with a median annual income of about $43,100. But there are currently fewer than 68,500 of these professionals, and only about 6,000 new jobs are expected to be added by 2024. (By comparison, there are nearly 185,800 musicians and singers working today.)
