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Sutter Health
Sacramento, California

Music Therapist

CounselorIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$37.37-$52.32/hr

Listing transparency3 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations and nights and shift pattern.

Employment & setting
Per Diem
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Includes weekends
Posted 51m ago · Verified live

Job Description

We are so glad you are interested in joining Sutter Health!

Organization

SMCS-Sutter Med Center - Sacramento

Position Overview

Utilizes music as a formal intervention within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of patients.

Uses clinical and evidence-based assessments and music interventions to accomplish individualized goals in conjunction with the patient’s age, medical condition, and family/significant others.

Interventions are designed specifically to assist patients and families in coping with the stress and trauma that is often associated with a hospitalization.

Works with an interdisciplinary team to set priorities in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programming with patients and families receiving care at Sutter Health.

Goals include helping patients manage pain and stressful situations, encouraging self-expression, and promoting communication, motor development, and socialization. Maintains ongoing communication with the department manager to establish and maintain overall music therapy programming.

Job Description

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy

OR

Completion of the degree equivalency program in Music Therapy as required by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).

Certification & Licensure

  • MT-Certified Music Therapist
  • MT-BC (Music Therapist - Board Certified)
  • Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT)

Typical Experience

2 years recent relevant experience

Skills and Knowledge

Strong musical skills, including proficiency in playing musical instruments and vocal technique.

Strong communication, assessment, and intervention skills. Ability to build collaborative relationships with patients and their families/care givers, peers, and other healthcare professionals to provide the highest quality of patient care.

  • General understanding of medical terminology, diagnosis and disease process.
  • Possesses solid written/verbal communication, interpersonal, and teaching skills to explain treatments, diagnoses, or sensitive information clearly and professionally to diverse audiences.
  • Attention to detail with good time management with sound observation and organizational skills.
  • Basic experience with computer applications, such as Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook) and EPIC.
  • Ability to work in an environment with chronically ill, disoriented, and sometimes contentious patients.

Ability to prioritize assignments under varied and urgent conditions and work within procedures and practices to achieve objectives and meet deadlines.

Ability to perform detailed tasks thoroughly and completely, using existing procedures to identify and solve routine or standard problems.

Ability to ensure the privacy of each patient’s Protected Health Information (PHI).

Job Shift

Varied

Schedule

Per Diem/Casual

Shift Hours

8

Days of the Week

Variable

Weekend Requirements

As Needed

Benefits

No

Unions

No

Position Status

Non-Exempt

Weekly Hours

0

Employee Status

Per Diem/Casual

Employees of Sutter Health and its entities may handle hazardous drugs in the course of their work, including patient care, which requires them to manage, store, prepare, receive, unpack, transport, dispose of, or administer drugs identified as hazardous or potentially hazardous by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and in accordance with the USP 800 guidelines.

  • Sutter Health is an equal opportunity employer EOE/M/F/Disability/Veterans.
  • Pay Range is $37.37 to $52.32 / hour

The compensation range may vary based on the geographic location where the position is filled. Total compensation considers multiple factors, including, but not limited to a candidate’s experience, education, skills, licensure, certifications, departmental equity, training, and organizational needs. Base pay is only one component of Sutter Health’s comprehensive total rewards program. Eligible positions also include a comprehensive benefits package.

Key Responsibilities

The music therapist utilizes evidence-based music interventions to address the physical, emotional, and cognitive needs of patients within a therapeutic relationship. They work with an interdisciplinary team to plan and evaluate programming that helps patients manage pain, stress, and trauma.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy or equivalent and possess MT-BC certification. A minimum of 2 years of recent relevant experience is required along with strong musical and clinical assessment skills.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

Board Certification

Key Skills

Interdisciplinary collaborationInstrument proficiencyCrisis interventionDocumentationPatient advocacy

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 34% are remote, 36% have no call, 70% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$93k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $84k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

48 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution34 jobs

14
<$65k
6
$65k-85k
5
$85k-105k
6
$105k-125k
3
$125k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks35 jobs

401k / retirement match
80%
CME allowance
54%
Sign-on bonus
31%
Loan repayment
31%
PSLF eligible
14%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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$58.5-$85/hr
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#3

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+ 46 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.4this job 3.0
Higher than about 2 in 10 of 7,933 Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10. Shaded area = share of comparable listings scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends

Living in Sacramento

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$455k
Typical market rent
$2,056/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.7
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Sutter Health logo

About Sutter Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Sacramento, California
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive benefits package