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THE COMPENSATION OF THE SACRED MUSICIAN
Before discussing the specifics of compensation according to the credentials of the musician or the size of the institution or its budget, the following provides a review of employment statistics in other professions for the three main levels of the Atlanta Chapter, AGO, salary recommendations' chart (see chapter four).
These employment figures were extracted from the Occupational Compensation Survey: Pay Only for the Atlanta metropolitan area, published in April 1993 by the U. S. Department of Labor. The standard hours reflect the work week for which employees receive their regular straight-time salaries. Categories of "professional, technical, and administrative" are indicated as well. Note that the pay figures do not include benefits.
The weekly/hourly pay scales are median, based upon the AGO salary guide. The professional "levels" given are the state/federal mandated levels set by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for each profession and related to years of experience. Also shown on these charts is whether a job is in the private or public sector, and further breaks down into manufacturing and service producing niches.
Median salaries were computed from our AGO salary guidelines to correspond to these figures. Weekly and hourly figures are given in relation to the type of degree. These figures reflect the standard 40-hour or full-time church position. Variations of this should be calculated according to the position's expected weekly working hours.
40 hours, $624 weekly, $32,450 (mid-range)
Profession |
Hours |
Weekly Pay in $ (median) |
| Accountant (professional occupation) | 40 |
$621.00 |
| Level II (manufacturing) | ||
| Engineer (professional occupation) | 40 |
$611.00 |
| Level I (service producing) | ||
| Computer Systems Analyst (professional occupation) | 40 |
$627.00 |
| Level I (state, local government) | ||
| Computer Operator (technical occupation) | 40 |
$625.00 |
| Level IV | ||
| Accounting Clerk (technical occupation) | 40 |
$611.00 |
| Level IV | ||
| Secretary (technical occupation) | 40 |
$600.00 |
| Level IV (private industry) | ||
| Maintenance (technical occupation) | 40 |
$641.20 |
| Electrician | ||
| Maintenance (technical occupation) | 40 |
$676.80 |
| Mechanic, Motor Vehicle |
Master of Music
40 hours, $762 weekly, $39,600 (mid-range)
Profession |
Hours |
Weekly Pay in $ (median) |
| Attorney (professional occupation) | 40 |
$773.00 |
| Level II (state, local government) | ||
| Budget Analyst (administrative occupation) | 40 |
$732.00 |
| Level III | ||
| Buyer/Contractor (administrative occupation) | 40 |
$774.00 |
| Specialist, Level III | ||
| Computer Systems Analyst | 40 |
$739.00 |
| Level II (state, local government) | ||
| Maintenance (technical occupation) | 40 |
$787.20 |
| Electrician (private industry) | ||
| Maintenance (technical occupation) | 40 |
$776.80 |
| Pipefitter |
Doctor of Musical Arts
40 hours, $952 weekly, $49,500 (mid-range)
Profession |
Hours |
Weekly Pay in $ (median) |
| Accountant (professional occupation) | 40 |
$960.00 |
| Level IV (private industry) | ||
| Attorney (professional occupation) | 40 |
$921.00 |
| Level III (state, local government) | ||
| Engineer (professional occupation) | 40 |
$990.00 |
| Level IV | ||
Computer Programmer |
40 |
$952.00 |
| Level V (private industry) | ||
| Computer Systems Analyst | 40 |
$937.00 |
| Level III | ||
| Maintenance (technical occupation) | 40 |
$776.80 |
| Pipefitter | ||
| Maintenance, Electronic Technician (technical occupation) |
40 |
$794.00 |
| Level III |