Whether you’ve been slamming away at the drums for decades or just picked them up a short while ago, the odds are pretty good that at some point along the way you’ve wondered about how much money drummers can make a year?
On average, drummers can make about $40,000 per year. This number can vary greatly depending on the type of gigs the drummer plays, album royalties, and how often you perform. Drummers that teach or work on cruise ships will bring in $30,000 per year and professional drummers can bring in millions!
Now, obviously, not everyone that picks up a drumstick and buys a drum set has dreams of going on tour, packing stadiums, and making millions of dollars performing in front of fans.
Still, though, plenty of people would love to be able to turn their passion for music and their love of the drums specifically into at least a little bit of side money. Others would love to find a way to make a full-time income with the drums if at all possible.
Below I’ll run through a couple of different kinds of drummers and the kind of money that they can expect to pull down each year. This should give you an idea of what kind of money could be achieved and maybe give you a few more ideas about how to turn playing the drums into a career…or at least a side-hustle.
On Average, How Much Money Can a Drummer Make Per Year?
The overwhelming majority of drummers…I’m talking about 80% or more… isn’t going to make enough money to recoup the cost of a halfway decent professional drum set, let alone make a real-world income playing. That’s just the nature of being a musician…it’s difficult to make a living, but not impossible.
According to the folks at Glassdoor.com, the average salary for a professional drummer in the United States sits at about $40,000 per year.
Glassdoor uses the word “professional” and I think that could cause some confusion.
In this case, “professional” covers all kinds of drummers that work full-time with their instruments…from drummers that play on cruise ships to drummers that play for sports teams to drummers that teach and everything in between.
Your average garage band, weekend warrior style drummer (generally) isn’t going to be pulling down $40,000 a year at local bars and restaurants.
At the same time, there are some drummers…and I don’t just mean super famous drummers…that are making a whole lot more than $40,000 a year.
How Much Money Do Different Types Of Drummers Make?
Let’s run through a couple of different categories of drummer careers you may not have considered to better understand how much money they can make and what they are expected to do to make that money.
| Session Drummers | $50,000 – $70,000 per Year |
| Drum Teachers | $30,000 – $60,000 per Year |
| Cruise Ship Drummer | $31,500 per Year |
| Military Band Drummer | $40,000 per Year |
| Professional Performing Drummers (Low End) | $50,000 per Show |
| Professional Performing Drummers (High End) | $125,000 per Show |
How Much Money Do Session Drummers Make?
Session drummers just might be the perfect “Goldilocks” drummer career for lots of folks, and they can expect to make about $50,000-$70,000 or more each year for their talents.
Session drummers are drummers that live and breathe in a music studio, not necessarily as a member of any band specifically but instead a “floater” that works with all kinds of musicians to provide drums when they are recording.
Sometimes studios hire these kinds of drummers themselves, but most frequently these drummers are going to be hired by band management directly, though the studios often recommend folks they want to bring in and work long-term with, too.
If you build up a big enough name as a really accomplished session drummer, or you start to work with some larger bands that continue to want you in on their recording sessions, you might be able to break six figures or more without much trouble.
A possible negative to being a session musician is that you might not be hired to play the type of music you want to play. You may love hard rock but keep getting gigs playing country…so you can’t be picky, at least at first.
Now, if you love learning and playing all styles then this could be a dream job for you. If you hate a certain type of music, then your sessions could be a slog.
Another possible negative is that you might have to live in a city that you don’t want to live in. Now, just about every city…small and large…has a recording studio, but to get regular work you’re likely going to have to live near a large city…preferably one know for music: New York, LA, Nashville, Atlanta, Dallas, etc.
One last possible negative is that you will have to be VERY well versed in all styles of playing…and I mean all styles. Most session musicians will never see the music before they have to go play…you may only have 5 minutes with the chart before the recording engineer is ready to hit “record.”
How Much Money Do Drum Teachers Make?
Those that dream of teaching the drums as well as performing them inevitably fall into the music teacher or private tutor career fields, and it’s not hard to understand why.
Most drum teachers can expect to make anywhere between $30,000 a year and $60,000 a year or so, right in line with traditional teachers, but this can scale up or down depending on the price charged per hour and how many students the teacher plans to accept.
Some private tutors charge $90 an hour for lessons, others charge upwards of $900 per day, and some are charging even more than that.
Keep in mind that many of your students will likely be younger children who only want 30-minute lessons. Typically, you charge less money (closer to $20 – $25 per half hour) for these lessons that are geared towards younger students…and remember, they are almost always by the half-hour.
Music professors and music schools or conservatories can offer low six-figure pay as well, though these spots are very competitive to land.
At the end of the day, lots of drum teachers choose to release their own programs or get very entrepreneurial and that’s when they see their incomes skyrocket significantly. With internet speeds getting faster and more available, many drummers are offering lessons online via skype or zoom. Others create lessons and release them at online educational sites like udemy.com.
YouTube is also being utilized more and more, either as a direct way to teach drum lessons or as a way to drive traffic to online courses. This allows drummers to get revenue from their YouTube channels, affiliate money from recommending products, and lesson revenue by pushing students towards their online lesson offerings…it takes time to build up a following, but it can be VERY lucrative.
How Much Do Professional Performing Drummers Make?
A very small minority of drummers are actually professional performing drummers, drummers either hired by bands to record and go out on tour with or entertainment venues to be the “house drummer” for whoever shows up to play that day.
Professional touring drummers can make $15,000 per show and can easily make $1,000,000 a year if they play a lot of shows. Drummers with famous bands make even more than this…some of them way more!
Other drummers, like house drummers, are generally going to make six figures or so…and maybe a little bit less. If you’re looking to go in this direction, be sure to research opportunities that might not seem all that obvious at first.
Sports teams, restaurants, bars, and other entertainment venues may have a need for a drummer. Since people aren’t expecting those employment opportunities the competition is significantly lower than becoming a session drummer at a studio.
How Much Money Does A Cruise Ship Drummer Make?
Working on a cruise ship is an opportunity that is often overlooked by drummers and musicians in general.
While competition isn’t extremely low, it is easier to score one of these gigs than a position as a session drummer or with a stage show like Cirque du Soleil, but is it a good way to earn a living?
Drummers that get hired to work on cruise ships earn an average of $31,500 per year. This number will slowly rise up year after year as you build up seniority or move onto bigger ships with more famous entertainers. Expenses are also lower while on a ship, so you’re spending less each month.
You also have to take into account that most expenses are paid for while you are on the ship, so your money won’t have to go to normal things like rent, car/gas, utilities, etc.
Now, some cruise ships do make their employees pay for internet access and alcohol…but that’s still far less than what you’d have to pay if you worked a “normal” 9-5 job.
How Much Do Drummers In The Military Make?
A career that many musicians overlook is a career in the military. It’s definitely not for everyone, but a career as a military drummer can be very lucrative and rewarding.
On average, a drummer in a military band can make $3342. Factors such as rank and military branch create a salary that ranges from $1828 to $7236. In addition to a salary, military musicians also get housing stipends, free health care, and other benefits.
Now, the biggest thing to remember here is that if you are in the military you are a soldier (or airman, or marine, etc) first. Most of the time you will be performing at concerts or other special occasions, but you can be ordered to any number of other things if the need arises.
The rewards of being a military drummer can be huge. You get to serve your country, earn money as a drummer, and use the benefits bestowed on military personnel to help build up your post-military career.
Many members of the military get free college tuition…a perfect opportunity to get a degree (whether in music performance or in business or anything else for that matter) that you can use to grow your career. You’ll also be playing with a rotating roster of musicians and building up contacts.
Other benefits include BAH, or base allowance for housing. This is an extra stipend to help pay for rent and mortgages. You’ll also have access to the VA for free medical procedures and checkups and also enjoy discounts that almost every store and restaurant offers.
Of course, there are downsides too. You don’t always get to choose where you’re going to live…it might be Alaska or South Korea, you just never know.
There is also the possibility of getting deployed. If it is a time of war, you could very well be sent overseas to a war zone.
Lastly, you’re probably not going to be playing hard rock and heavy metal. Military bands generally play holiday concerts so most of the music is traditional tunes and family-friendly “general audience” music. A lot of your time will be playing marches, show tunes, Christmas medleys, and jazz standards…not that any of these are bad, just maybe not your “cup of tea.”
Regular People Drumming For The Love of It
The truth of the matter is that it is very difficult to become an ultra-successful touring drummer…most people are going to make their money teaching, playing smaller gigs (like cruise ships and small studios), and as members of military bands.
But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to make a little side money as a drummer. First and foremost you will be playing because you love music and performing…but if you can make a few bucks then go for it.
Smaller, local bands will pull in $300 to $500 per show, split between the members of the band. This can be boosted with album and merch sales.
Many drummers love this level of success. They just like getting out with their friends, playing their favorite songs, showing off their drumming skills, and maybe cutting a couple of self-produced records every now and again. They enjoy some local fame and often have their drinks and meals comped in between sets at the venue they’re playing at…Not a bad weekend gig!
These kinds of drummers…the ones that make up the backbone of the drumming community…really are just doing it for the love of music and how it makes them feel. The beer money is nice (don’t get us wrong) but it’s really all about passion and sharing music with as many people as will listen!