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: $60,280

Projected job growth: 3.3%

10th Percentile: $39,520

25th Percentile: $48,230

75th Percentile: $77,680

90th Percentile: $96,600

Projected job growth: 3.3%

State data

State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10%
Alabama $52,050 $41,630 $80,540
Arizona $61,110 $49,710 $88,400
Arkansas $45,060 $27,390 $88,460
California $96,530 $61,270 $112,550
Colorado $62,630 $42,840 $85,110
Connecticut $61,030 $46,520 $99,230
Delaware $42,310 $40,320 $68,540
District of Columbia $92,010 $58,940 $114,190
Florida $56,220 $40,070 $88,360
Georgia $50,010 $28,590 $72,830
Idaho $50,960 $43,710 $72,300
Illinois $63,610 $47,150 $94,470
Indiana $51,930 $44,340 $72,040
Iowa $50,520 $41,400 $81,880
Kansas $39,690 $31,130 $57,590
Kentucky $54,030 $34,090 $73,740
Louisiana $47,350 $32,540 $65,000
Maine $54,500 $37,480 $72,930
Maryland $58,390 $40,210 $82,490
Massachusetts $57,540 $42,200 $92,870
Michigan $63,200 $48,540 $73,330
Minnesota $67,300 $45,000 $86,860
Mississippi $38,170 $29,950 $67,670
Missouri $53,620 $36,980 $84,640
Montana $51,490 $38,650 $89,860
Nebraska $55,910 $38,830 $75,670
Nevada $77,450 $50,290 $97,700
New Hampshire $74,780 $41,900 $92,250
New Jersey $64,880 $48,550 $97,540
New Mexico $47,880 $41,830 $120,160
New York $63,520 $48,140 $85,890
North Carolina $48,590 $39,770 $78,230
North Dakota $57,960 $36,210 $73,580
Ohio $60,210 $44,940 $80,180
Oklahoma $46,920 $34,290 $75,180
Oregon $64,000 $45,300 $81,140
Pennsylvania $56,690 $36,230 $77,010
South Carolina $49,170 $30,310 $74,960
Tennessee $50,510 $35,780 $79,790
Texas $54,190 $33,540 $203,440
Utah $51,490 $41,370 $81,150
Virginia $57,330 $42,170 $88,320
Washington $78,620 $60,920 $104,070
West Virginia $44,900 $33,930 $84,640
Wisconsin $55,010 $46,840 $78,370
Wyoming $61,080 $51,540 $74,960

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