The Duality of Mental Health and Music Educator Job Satisfaction: Realities and Recommendations

Anxiety and depression are critical issues for music educators (Miksza et al., 2022, Parkes et al., 2021) with self-indicated results showing higher levels of anxiety and depression than in the general population (Payne & Royston, 2024). Although these mental health concerns exist, 85% of music teachers reported general job satisfaction (Baker, 2007). However, they also reported struggling with separating professional from personal life (Payne & Royston, 2024). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine music teachers’ job satisfaction as it related to their mental wellness. We found that while music teachers (N = 695) indicated that they enjoy their job, feel joy, and contribute to a greater good through their profession, there is also some dissatisfaction regarding pay, value, and work-life balance. Our focus in this research is to begin offering pathways for a healthy, resilient, and sustaining workforce in music education through creating a healthy school-life balance and normalizing effective, help-seeking practices.