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Stringed musical instrument maker

Also called luthier, lute maker, viola maker

Stringed musical instrument makers create and assemble parts to create stringed instruments according to specified instructions or diagrams. They sand wood, measure and attach strings, test quality of strings and inspect the finished instrument.

Will there be jobs?Limited prospects9 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Handicraft and printing workersWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,100 (Bulgaria) to €4,900 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Handicraft and printing workersWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training. 3 in 10 train through vocational routes.Handicraft and printing workersWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Musical instrument makers and tuners · ILO

What you'd do

Musical instrument makers and tuners · ILO
  • Fabricating and assembling musical instruments and instrument parts of wood, ebonite, metal, leather and other materials
  • Repairing or replacing musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts and keys, using hand and power tools
  • Playing and inspecting instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects
  • Adjusting string tensions to achieve proper tone or pitch of stringed instruments
  • Adjusting lips, reeds or toe hole of organ pipes, using hand tools, to regulate airflow and loudness of sound
  • Tuning and servicing pipe organs by adjusting pitch of organ A pipes to conform with pitch of tuning fork and adjusting pitch of other pipes with reference to pitch of tuned pipes
  • Installing new drumheads in percussion instruments
  • Tuning accordions by aurally comparing pitch of reeds with master reeds and filing reeds to obtain standard pitch
  • Aligning pads and keys on reed or wind instruments
  • Tuning percussion instruments to required pitch by tightening or loosening cords holding leather pieces fixed atop or at both ends of instrument
  • Assembling and installing new pipe organs and pianos in buildings
Decorate musical instrumentsRepair musical instrumentsAssemble musical instrument partsCreate musical instrument partsRestore musical instruments+ 4 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Some contact with people, including the public
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Usually 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners"

Will there be jobs?

Limited prospects

Fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as handicraft and printing workers in the EU
1.02m893k739k 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
204,000 replacing leavers 126,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Handicraft and printing workers9
All jobs29
Right now
1 of 27 countries report a shortage of musical instrument makers and tuners, 6 a surplus.
Musical instrument makers and tuners · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,100 a month (Bulgaria) to €4,900 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among craft and related trades workers in the EU, women earn 26% less per hour than men. Craft and related trades workers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in music and performing arts is the usual route.

Highest qualification of handicraft and printing workers (EU, 2025)
Degree 17%Vocational 48%General secondary 11%Basic schooling 24%
Field that teaches it
Music and performing arts
Vocational route, EU
3 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.14 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 11 tasks
Playing and inspecting instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects0.15
Adjusting string tensions to achieve proper tone or pitch of stringed instruments0.15
Adjusting lips, reeds or toe hole of organ pipes, using hand tools, to regulate airflow and loudness of sound0.15
Tuning and servicing pipe organs by adjusting pitch of organ A pipes to conform with pitch of tuning fork and adjusting pitch of other pipes with reference to pitch of tuned pipes0.15
Tuning percussion instruments to required pitch by tightening or loosening cords holding leather pieces fixed atop or at both ends of instrument0.15
Assembling and installing new pipe organs and pianos in buildings0.14
Fabricating and assembling musical instruments and instrument parts of wood, ebonite, metal, leather and other materials0.14
Tuning accordions by aurally comparing pitch of reeds with master reeds and filing reeds to obtain standard pitch0.14
Repairing or replacing musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts and keys, using hand and power tools0.14
Aligning pads and keys on reed or wind instruments0.12
Installing new drumheads in percussion instruments0.10

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for musical instrument makers and tuners. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).