Not every musician makes as much as Dr. Dre, who makes most of his money by selling headphones while also making the occasional record and performing live as well.

That’s really the story of the music industry ever since the recession. In a recent survey it was revealed that most professionals in the industry usually have two or three jobs to keep them going.

The reason for this is because of the decline of the music industry over the last decade, and with it, a drop in earnings by musicians during this time.

However, there are certain roles that still pay very well, and amongst the lot, sound and audio technology, music therapy and playing as a session musician are still lucrative despite the economy taking a nosedive.

With the popularity of videogames on the rise, one of the best ways to make a substantial amount of money is to take up projects related to audio and video technology around gaming.

For a start, an assistant engineer would get paid about $18,000 while an audio director can easily make about $140,000 a year.

Music therapy is also another field that is in demand and there are several jobs that musicians can find whether they are in-house psychiatric units or even hospitals and prisons. Salaries for music therapists begin at $20,000 per year while private practitioners make at least $135,000 a year.

Finally, session work which includes playing for a few hours in a studio or even at weddings, corporate retreats as well as concerts fetches musicians at least $100 for a couple of hours of work.

And while most musicians won’t make millions like Dr. Dre does, you won’t find them complaining about earning a thousand dollars for playing an instrument at the weekend.