By: Natural Healers Staff

Updated: February 2, 2026

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Music and Sound Healing Therapy Education

Learn about sound healing training courses and careers.

music and sound healing training

Sound healing is based on the principle that sound changes consciousness.

Through sound healing training courses, practitioners learn how to use toning, chanting or vibrations from the voice or instruments to stimulate self-healing in clients.

From relaxation to reduced pain, music and sound healing can help people of all ages achieve better health and wellness.

Career Overview

Music and sound healing professionals practice in hospitals, schools, nurseries, birthing centers, rehabilitation facilities and retirement communities.

As an integrative therapy, sound healing is a natural complement to many alternative medicine practices, such as massage, reflexology and other bodywork treatments.

Some conditions that music and sound healing can influence include these:

  • Chronic pain
  • Stress
  • Auditory tonal processing difficulties
  • Hearing sensitivities
  • Learning disabilities
  • Mental health issues
  • Well-being for the elderly
  • Pregnancy and birth

Training and Education

What You’ll Study in Sound Healing School

You’ll find certificate and degree programs in sound healing training available through specialized sound healing institutes.

Additionally, several colleges and universities across the country offer traditional degrees in music therapy. In general, you can expect your sound healing training courses to cover these topics:

  • Structure and physics of sound
  • History of sound healing
  • Applied study on clinical instruments
  • Sound consciousness and spirituality
  • Wellness for musicians
  • Aural and musical language skills
  • Psychology
  • Counseling theories and strategies
  • Internship or Clinical practicum

Average Length of Study

An associate’s program in music therapy takes two years to complete; bachelor’s programs require four years of study and include general studies courses to round out your music therapy curriculum.

Specialized music and sound healing training programs can vary in length, but generally involve at least 200 hours of course work and practice time.

Average Tuition

Tuition for music and sound healing training certificate programs range from $2,500 to $4,000. At traditional colleges and universities, music therapy degree programs start at $395 per credit hour.

Sound Healing Certification

Music and sound healing professionals can get certified through the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). Although voluntary, certification reflects that the music therapist has met rigorous standards for education and practice and is committed to ongoing professional development through continuing education courses.

Career Outlook

Classified as recreational therapists in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ current Occupational Outlook Handbook, music and sound healing professionals can anticipate a 3.3% increase in employment through 2034, which is about as fast as average.

Most of that growth will stem from an increasing need for recreational therapists to provide services to an aging baby boomer population, especially at nursing care facilities.

Sound Healing Therapy Salary

The BLS says those working for hospitals and state government agencies earn top wages in the profession. You can research median annual salaries by state for recreational therapists here:

Recreational Therapists

National data

Median Salary: $61,960

Projected job growth: 3.3%

10th Percentile: $40,990

25th Percentile: $50,240

75th Percentile: $79,930

90th Percentile: $100,420

Projected job growth: 3.3%

State data

State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10%
Alabama $57,360 $43,840 $87,110
Arizona $62,610 $49,710 $90,230
Arkansas $42,670 $31,130 $82,960
California $98,170 $60,940 $115,370
Colorado $66,580 $44,530 $88,120
Connecticut $63,240 $46,350 $101,650
Delaware $51,110 $42,640 $76,290
District of Columbia $95,640 $50,840 $118,340
Florida $57,980 $41,400 $86,610
Georgia $52,010 $29,330 $92,500
Hawaii $64,500 $45,920 $95,040
Idaho $49,720 $39,920 $72,360
Illinois $54,910 $40,560 $86,190
Indiana $53,770 $38,550 $76,750
Iowa $56,140 $43,580 $81,970
Kansas $40,010 $29,720 $60,720
Kentucky $59,240 $37,850 $77,590
Louisiana $51,150 $36,590 $67,220
Maine $57,560 $39,480 $77,130
Maryland $64,300 $39,220 $95,490
Massachusetts $62,820 $49,090 $94,890
Michigan $61,700 $42,270 $73,690
Minnesota $76,360 $55,210 $97,570
Mississippi $39,560 $30,570 $65,170
Missouri $58,620 $43,000 $93,500
Montana $51,110 $38,210 $86,260
Nebraska $62,980 $40,370 $79,080
Nevada $78,730 $46,380 $98,630
New Hampshire $82,280 $53,060 $98,310
New Jersey $60,400 $49,810 $85,580
New Mexico $49,210 $41,600 $110,470
New York $65,520 $49,940 $91,370
North Carolina $51,030 $41,490 $78,340
North Dakota $58,370 $40,100 $70,570
Ohio $60,770 $46,440 $84,910
Oklahoma $50,480 $32,920 $77,910
Oregon $66,530 $51,210 $83,780
Pennsylvania $58,940 $39,690 $80,340
South Carolina $48,880 $38,290 $74,670
South Dakota $46,850 $41,390 $83,780
Tennessee $51,910 $37,080 $78,850
Texas $62,490 $36,210 $213,790
Utah $56,640 $31,730 $86,260
Vermont $63,380 $49,830 $79,170
Virginia $61,270 $49,580 $87,020
Washington $77,860 $61,070 $108,200
West Virginia $49,010 $36,580 $118,410
Wisconsin $59,350 $48,650 $81,330

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median salary; projected job growth through 2034. Actual salaries vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.

Is a Sound Healing Career Right for You?

A career in music and sound healing means influencing the health and well-being of others with your love for music. Sound healing training courses combined with your willingness to work closely with people enduring a wide range of emotional, mental and physical health conditions will help you find success in this incredibly rewarding career.

If you are interested in sound healing training courses, take a closer look at music and sound healing schools. Then choose the sound healing training program that meets your personal and professional needs.

Sources: SoundHealingCenter.com, Sound and Consciousness Institute, Spirit Music, Certification Board for Music Therapists