Employment and membership trends in the American Music Therapy Association, 1998-2009

The purpose of this study was to analyze employment and membership trends of music therapists who were members of AMTA anytime from its inception in 1998 to 2009. The authors created a database and analyzed descriptive statistical profiles of the AMTA membership from the last 12 Member Sourcebooks. Results indicated that since 1998, there has been an overall addition of 500 music therapy jobs. Most new music therapy positions were created in schools, nursing homes, and self-employment/private practice. Concerning work settings, standard deviations were relatively small indicating little change in work settings over time. Over time, there was an increase in the percentages of music therapists working with clients with autism. Many music therapists continue to work in self-employment and private practice. There are indications that AMTA membership seems to be slightly aging. Implications for sustaining the membership of AMTA, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are provided.