Pop stars and celebrity singers who appear on the "American Idol" television show and sell out stadium shows can make enormous annual incomes. One of the highest earning pop stars is Beyonce, earning approximately $80 million per year in both live shows and endorsement opportunities according to "Forbes" magazine. Her husband, rapper Jay-Z makes an annual $82 million per year. In addition to shows and endorsements, both of these singers have their own clothing and brand lines as well as multiple revenue streams, which help improve their pay.
The pay of an opera singer directly depends on the opera house, popularity and position that you have as an opera singer. As a result, the pay of a professional opera singer ranges from $10,000 to $200,000 per year. If you are a young opera singer, you will usually make between $500 and $750 dollars a week, according to CareersinMusic.com. In addition to these rates, singing royalties will be paid to you as a part of the American Guild of Musical Artists.
Professional singers who offer private and public lessons to students make a varying income depending on notoriety and clientele. On the lower end, singing lessons offer a teacher $18 an hour. With a series of degrees and proper networking, singing teachers can earn up to $200 an hour for a private lesson. While group classes are often much cheaper, the overall rate for the hour can often exceed that of a private lesson or class.
Becoming a cantor or part of a church choir is another type of professional singing that can yield either a part-time or full-time income, depending on if you are the music director or not. The average wage for a religious singer is around $13 an hour, depending on location and your position in the group. Religious singing can offer additional revenue streams if you perform outside of your congregation, at weddings or other religious functions.