Good Shepherd Community Care logo
Good Shepherd Community Care
Newton, Massachusetts

Music Therapist

CounselorNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$52k-$60k

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Job Location: Main Office - Newton, MA
  • Salary Range: $52000.00 - $60000.00Salary/year, Music Therapist Named by the Boston Globe as one of the Top Places to Work in Massachusetts for the last four years, our community based, mission-driven hospice and palliative care organization seeks a experienced, talent and compassionate Music Therapist to join our dynamic Expressive Arts Therapies team. Travel is required for this position. Care is provided in patient’s private homes and residential facilities throughout Greater Boston and parts of Metrowest. Job Responsibilities: The Music Therapist will use therapeutic music activities, including instrumental and vocal activities, to address the emotional and psychological needs of patients with life limiting and/or terminal illnesses. The Music Therapist works as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide compassionate care to a diverse group of patients and families on both our pediatric palliative care and hospice programs. The Music Therapist is responsible for completing initial assessments of new patients/families to determine their music therapy needs and then establishes an individualized care plan that includes interventions, goals and visit frequency.

Schedule And

  • Weekly Hours: Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Education, Skills and Experience: Degree in Music Therapy from a recognized school Board-certified in Music Therapy (MT-BC). At least one year of experience with one or both of the populations we serve (hospice and pediatric palliative care), or closely associated populations such as early intervention or senior care. Knowledge of existing music therapy methods, techniques, materials and equipment Comfort working with socioculturally diverse patients/families. Ability to take initiative, work independently, multi-task and manage time well. Outstanding verbal and written communication skills. Ability to represent Good Shepherd professionally with our partners and in the community with compassion and integrity. PC proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel. A professional and caring demeanor. Good Shepherd Benefits: Competitive salary Four weeks paid time off in first year, to increase with tenure 12 paid holidays Health, dental, and vision insurance: coverage begins as of your start date Life insurance 403(b) with company match Flexible Spending Account Short and Long Term Disability Employee Assistance Program Partnership with Regis College for reduced tuition rates
  • Pay Range: $52,000 - $60,000: This number reflects an average starting range for this position. Individual pay is determined through a variety of factors including experience, education, certifications, and skills and can exceed the range
  • Industry: Healthcare
  • Employment Type: Full Time - 40 hours per week

About Us

Good Shepherd Community Care is one of the most trusted health care organizations in Greater Boston focusing on hospice and palliative care. Founded as Hospice of the Good Shepherd in 1978, we are the original Massachusetts hospice.

After decades of caring for our community, we continue to remain an independent, not-for-profit, non-sectarian organization. We believe in the importance of mutual respect and acceptance and value diversity in our patients, families and caregivers, employees, volunteers, community, and partner organizations.

We are committed to these values and honor the dignity of each individual through the care, support and education we provide. Our team members benefit from a collaborative work environment in a welcoming office, easily accessible to I-95, with on-site parking in Newton.

Good Shepherd Community Care does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex stereotyping, marital status, pregnancy, religion or age in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs, services and activities.:

Key Responsibilities

The Music Therapist will provide therapeutic music activities to address the emotional and psychological needs of patients in hospice and palliative care. They will work within an interdisciplinary team to conduct patient assessments and develop individualized care plans.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a degree in Music Therapy and be Board-certified (MT-BC). At least one year of experience in hospice, pediatric palliative care, or a closely related field is required.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

Board Certification

Key Skills

Hospice carePatient assessmentCare planningInterdisciplinary teamworkInstrumental activitiesTime managementMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelClinical documentation

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Music Therapist at Good Shepherd Community Care a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 35% of all Mental Health Therapy counselor listings evaluated on our platform. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 36% are remote, 38% have no call, 54% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Massachusetts is 105.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$56k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $53k in an average-cost state. 63.2% of Massachusetts clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$53k in purchasing powerMassachusetts index 105.8 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in Massachusetts269 active7,884 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 36% remote · 38% no call · 54% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks30 jobs · 27 employers

401k / retirement match
87% this job
CME allowance
47%
Sign-on bonus
23%
Loan repayment
7%
PSLF eligible
3%

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 6.0
Better work-life than 50% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,851 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
Good Shepherd Community Care logo

About Good Shepherd Community Care

Hospitals and Health Care
Newton, MA
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

4 weeks PTO
12 paid holidays
Health, dental, and vision insurance
Life insurance
403(b) with company match
Flexible Spending Account
Short and Long Term Disability
Employee Assistance Program

Living in Newton

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.29M≈ 24.9× annual pay
Typical market rent
$3,408/mo≈ 79% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
27 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.3
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.