A piano tuner is a professional who specializes in fine-tuning and adjusting pianos, as well as performing basic maintenance and repairs on them. The job duties of a piano tuner are relatively limited, and the job is mostly popular in large-scale orchestras and opera houses which employ piano tuners on a permanently basis. Often, a piano tuner would practice the job on the off-side, specializing in general instrument repair primarily. In some cases the job can be very complicated, especially when complex piano models are involved.
Becoming a piano tuner is mostly about one’s experience and knowledge about particular piano models and their maintenance and repair procedures. There are various specific details important for being a good piano tuner, and in some limited locations around the world, training courses are offered which cover the most important aspects of the job. Surprisingly, it has quite a good potential for career development and advancing to more prospective positions in case one desires.
Working as a piano tuner can actually earn quite a good salary, contrary to what some might think – the average annual salary is between $31,000 – $97,000, with the high difference coming from working at different places – sometimes the salary for a piano tuner can be extremely high for the effort involved in the job, especially when a high-ranking orchestra or opera is involved and the position sees a frequent stream of work that needs to be done.