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UCSF
Oakland, California

Music Therapist

CounselorFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Provides comprehensive music therapy assessment and treatment interventions for pediatric patients, siblings, and families. Primary responsibilities include: conducting group and individual therapy; maintaining accurate and up-to-date charting, data, and statistics; maintaining supplies and organizing inventory, supporting community and donor relations, and supervising music therapy interns and volunteers.

Department Description

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals’ donor-funded facility dog program is among its most powerful resources. Animal-assisted therapy provides measurable improvements in blood pressure and cardiovascular health, increased endorphin release, and many emotional and mental health benefits – including for families and staff.

What sets our facility dog program apart is its significant therapeutic value for our patients. These highly trained dogs are partnered with professional handlers – in our case credentialed child life specialists and music therapists – trained to help children and families navigate illness, injury, disability, trauma, or hospitalization. Handler and dog collaborate at the highest level to build therapeutic relationships with patients and meet each child’s medical needs.

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world’s leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

Pride Values

UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence – also known as our PRIDE values.

In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity – both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available here.

Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Salary Information

The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy.

Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors including your work experience and internal equity within this position classification at UCSF. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by the rules in the collective bargaining agreement.

To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total

Compensation, Please Visit

ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu

Key Responsibilities

The Music Therapist provides comprehensive assessment and treatment interventions for pediatric patients and their families. Responsibilities include conducting therapy sessions, maintaining clinical documentation, and supervising interns and volunteers.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Music Therapy and be a Board-certified Music Therapist (MT-BC). The role requires three to four years of relevant experience depending on the degree level.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Pediatric CareGroup TherapyData ManagementInventory ManagementSupervisionCommunicationInterpersonal SkillsMusical Skills

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Music Therapist at UCSF a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Pediatrics (Counseling) — ranked against 79 active Pediatrics (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Pediatrics — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 74% are remote, 18% have no call, 56% require no weekends.

Counselor pay on WeekdayDoc is down 1.1% 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)). 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution50 jobs · 40 employers

20
<$95k
13
$95k-115k
11
$115k-135k
4
$135k-155k
2
$155k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks35 jobs

401k / retirement match
91% this job
CME allowance
54%
Sign-on bonus
31%
Loan repayment
11%
Relocation assistance
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

School-Based Clinical Therapist

Preventive Measures · Washington, District of Columbia

$60-$75/hr
#2

Mental Health Therapist

Sutter Health · Los Banos, California

$53.36-$74.7/hr
#3

Licensed Therapist

$60-$70/hr
#4

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

$43-$70/hr
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.4this job 7.2
Better work-life than 80% of Pediatrics (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 79 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Oakland

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$853k
Typical market rent
$2,735/mo
Residents’ average commute
30 min
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.

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