Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
SOC Code: 49-9063 Job Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed
Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.
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Prevailing Wage Levels (National)
DOL/OFLC prevailing wage thresholds for Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners. Hourly rates x 2,080 = annual.
FY2027 Weighted Lottery Impact
| Level | Lottery Entries | Est. Selection Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 1 entry | ~16% |
| Level II (Qualified) | 2 entries | ~31% |
| Level III (Experienced) | 3 entries | ~45% |
| Level IV (Expert) | 4 entries | ~61% |
Prevailing Wages by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | $59,779 | $84,157 | $108,514 | $132,891 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $45,240 | $54,080 | $62,899 | $71,739 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $42,827 | $52,104 | $61,360 | $70,637 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $38,230 | $48,922 | $59,613 | $70,304 |
| Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | $41,704 | $51,210 | $60,715 | $70,221 |
| Rockford, IL | $38,106 | $48,797 | $59,488 | $70,179 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $32,219 | $44,866 | $57,533 | $70,179 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $42,411 | $51,667 | $60,902 | $70,158 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $41,787 | $51,189 | $60,570 | $69,971 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | $37,794 | $48,506 | $59,218 | $69,930 |
H-1B Filing Data
Top H-1B Employers
| Employer | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| The Marcel Group | 1 | $44,450 |
Filing Trend
| Year | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | $44,450 |
Key Skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.9 | |
| Repairing | 3.8 | |
| Troubleshooting | 3.8 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 | |
| Equipment Selection | 3.0 | |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.0 | |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
Knowledge Areas
| Knowledge | Importance |
|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.3 |
| Mechanical | 3.8 |
| Fine Arts | 3.5 |
| English Language | 3.4 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.9 |
| Administration and Management | 2.9 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.8 |
| Education and Training | 2.7 |
Education Requirements
| Education Level | % of Workers |
|---|---|
| Some college | 54.5% |
| Less than high school | 18.2% |
| High school diploma | 9.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 9.1% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 4.5% |
| Associate's degree | 4.5% |
Typical Tasks
- Play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects.
- Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.
- Disassemble instruments and parts for repair and adjustment.
- Inspect instruments to locate defects, and to determine their value or the level of restoration required.
- Repair cracks in wood or metal instruments, using pinning wire, lathes, fillers, clamps, or soldering irons.
- Reassemble instruments following repair, using hand tools and power tools and glue, hair, yarn, resin, or clamps, and lubricate instruments as necessary.
- Compare instrument pitches with tuning tool pitches to tune instruments.
- String instruments, and adjust trusses and bridges of instruments to obtain specified string tensions and heights.
Technology Skills
Green = Hot Technology in demand
Katsura Shareware KS Strobe Tuner Katsura Shareware ProLevel Katsura Shareware SoundFrames Mensurix Audio Reyburn CyberTuner TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome Tunable Instrument Tuner TuneLab Tunic OnlyPure Veritune Verituner
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