How To Become A Luthier (With Salaries + Schools)

If you’re passionate about music, craftsmanship, and the art of fine woodworking, becoming a luthier—a skilled maker and repairer of stringed instruments—can be a deeply rewarding career path.

This guide will walk you through the essential steps to enter the field, from acquiring foundational skills to pursuing specialized training and building your reputation in the industry.

What does a luthier do?

A luthier is a professional who makes and repairs stringed instruments like guitars, cellos, violins, etc. Many luthiers will choose to work on one specific instrument; with many choosing guitars as their primary source of work.

A typical day in the life of a luthier can include:

Custom designing and building a new string instrument
Clean and seal dents
Refinishing damaged areas of an instrument
Restoring old instruments to resell

How To Become A Luthier

Becoming a luthier blends hands-on skill with artistic precision. Here’s a step-by-step path to help you enter the field:

Learn woodworking fundamentals
Enroll in a luthier training program
Apprentice with an experience luthier
Read industry publications, attend trade shows, follow industry influencers

While you can take a self-learning approach, it is highly recommended to attend a school that specializes in luthier education. This will give you a more holistic learning experience around various important components including:

Different setups for instrument types
Restringing
Measuring
Understanding wood types
Body design

Gaining skills in woodworking, design, and metal is highly recommended. Carpenters often make great luthiers because of their knowledge of woods and how to work with them.

Learning how to use a CNC machine is also recommended if you want to get into custom instrument making. CNC machines are used in many other woodworking careers as well, so having this experience will do you good if you decide to change jobs in the future.

Career opportunities for luthiers

Luthiers typically work in one of the following:

Repair shop. If building instruments does not appeal to you, then doing repairs is a great way to still be a part of the industry. Working in a repair shop can have you doing a variety of repairs on broken or outdated instruments.
Factory. Luthiers in the factory environment will use a variety of machines and hand tools to build custom instruments. In modern times machines are used more often to speed up the process. Some factories do still use hand tools but this is less common.
Self-employed. Starting your own business is an option! If your passion is for handcrafting stringed instruments for musicians, then this is the best option. It allows you to have flexibility in what types of projects you want to take on, and how much you would like to charge.

Job outlook for luthiers

There is no definitive studies or data on the job outlook for luthiers.

If you are a skilled artist and create pieces that are hard to find, you can find some security in the industry. Others may have a harder time securing work. Another concern is AI which can be a replacement for real musicians. This would minimize the need for luthiers if it were to impact the music industry.

Luthier salaries

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes luthiers in the musical instrument repairers and tuners category. This career has a median salary of $42,800.

If you are skilled, the best option is to become self-employed. The price of musical instruments created by a professional luthier can be in the 6-figures! The Luthier’s Collection showcases some popular builders and their items for sale.

Many luthiers might supplement their passion with other jobs like woodworking projects, cabinetry, or construction. If you are musically talented you can also offer guitar or string instrument lessons.

Becoming a luthier that caters to famous musicians is an option too! But you have to be GOOD! Take Harry Sparks for example. He was a well-known architect who was a luthier on the side to country music stars like Vince Gill and Sam Bush. He had a great job during the day, but had such a passion for being a luthier he needed to share his skills!