There are a few thousand musical instrument repairers with full-time jobs in the United States. Those seeking these jobs usually get employed after attending an instrument repair school or completing an instrument repair apprenticeship program.
There were 5,650 full-time jobs for instrument repair technicians in May of 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although that number of jobs is not expected to increase, the Bureau expects turnover rates to be relatively high, resulting in a number of job openings for adequately trained musical instrument repairers.
There are very few musical instrument repair schools in the United States. The National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians maintains a list of schools, and there are only four on this list in September of 2011. These are generally trade schools that are sometimes affiliated with a community college. Other schools are stand-alone instrument repair schools.
Below, you will see the name, city, and a telephone contact for each school. The time for completing a school course in musical instrument repair varies, but the range is about one to two years. Contact schools individually to determine their current program duration, curriculum, and other details.
Information on apprenticeships for musical instrument repair seem to be difficult to obtain. There are apparently so few that searches online simply uncover basic information without actual openings. The best thing to do is find employers that provide repair services on musical instruments and ask them about apprenticeship opportunities. If you are persistent enough, an employer may even start an apprenticeship on your behalf. Otherwise, you could agree to volunteer for a certain time and learn that way. This may be more ideal for either a high school or college student who wants to learn in his spare time.
Minnesota State College
Red Wing, Minnesota
800-657-4849
Western Iowa Tech Community College
Sioux City, Iowa
712-274-6412
Renton Technical College
Renton, Washington
425-235-2352
Badger State Repair School
Elkhorn, Wisconsin
262-723-4062
Resources:
NAPBIRT: Information on Instrument Repair Schools and Apprenticeships
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Jobs and Salary for Musical Instrument Repairers