Early-Career Music Teachers: Collegiate Experiences, Job Satisfaction, and Predictors of Retention

The purpose of this study was to examine music education alumni perceptions of their undergraduate degree experiences, career attainment, career satisfaction, and the extent to which various educational, career, and/or demographic variables increased the likelihood of them remaining in the teaching profession. Data for this study were gleaned from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project’s (SNAAP) 2022 survey of nearly 60,000 arts alumni in North America. Early-career music teacher respondents were mostly pleased with their experiences in their undergraduate degree programs, and subsequent job satisfaction was strikingly similar regardless of whether respondents had stayed in or departed the teaching profession. Increased satisfaction with their collegiate education was associated with a 111% increase in the likelihood of them staying in the music teaching profession, and increased feelings of societal contribution were associated with a 256% increase in the likelihood of them staying. Numerous implications suggest ways stakeholders can leverage these data to support teacher satisfaction and retention.