An instrument tuner is a person who specializes in the repair and fine-tuning of musical instruments. The job commonly involves repairing broken instruments, adjusting their elements to match the appropriate notes correctly, and generally keeping an instrument in a good condition. In some cases, an instrument tuner may be hired to repair an instrument that hasn’t been played in a long time, which can involve a variety of complicated procedures, typically requiring a complete replacement of most of the instrument’s parts and tuning it almost completely.
The job is a type of trade, and as such the experience required to practice it is mostly attained in the course of employment. It’s not uncommon for instrument tuners to start out as assistants to more experienced professionals, watching them and learning how to perform the job properly. It’s important to learn the intricacies of as many different types of instruments as possible, as this is the primary asset that determines the quality of an instrument tuner’s services.
An instrument tuner can earn moderately well, with a salary of between $27,000 – $47,000 being the most common. While it may not seem comparatively high, it should be noted that the job has some very flexible conditions attached to it, such as a great flexibility in the working hours and other important factors, like choosing to work in a team or alone, etc. All in all, it’s a very attractive choice for people who’re knowledgeable about instruments yet not willing to play them.