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Trinity Health
Troy, New York, United States

Per Diem Music Therapist - Adult Psych

Counselor / TherapistNo nightsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$45/hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 2h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Employment Type: Part time

Shift: Day Shift

Description

  • Music Therapist - Per Diem
  • Adult Psych - Samaritan Hospital
  • Grant Funded - 1.5 hours per week.

If you are looking for a Per Diem position in Social Services, this could be your opportunity. Here at Samaritan Hospital, an affiliate of St. Peter's Health Partners, we care for more people in more places.

Position Highlights

  • Quality of Life: Where career opportunities and quality of life converge
  • Advancement: Strong orientation program, generous tuition allowance and career development

What You Will Do

Provide music therapy to patients hospitalized for mental illness. The goal of incorporating music therapy is to provide patients with specialized recreational services meant to encourage well-being and improve patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

Plans and administers therapeutic recreational music activities, such as singing, playing instruments, and designing a creative outlet for emotional support of patients

Facilitate sessions on 3 separate units including adult psychiatry, geropsychiatry and dual-diagnosis (MICA) unit.

Convey through sessions the many benefits music has on our mental well-being, such as reducing stress and anxiety as well as creating a social connection.

  • Organize and encourage participation in activities for group sessions including
  • Must bring own equipment for use by patients that is approved by unit staff
  • Colleague will have a sufficient understanding of unit safety protocols and incorporate them into their activities to avoid safety events on the unit
  • Colleague will regularly track patient attendance in music therapy sessions

What You Will Need

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Music.
  • Experience leading a group or class is required.
  • Experience in the mental health field is preferred.

Pay: $45/hr

Pay is based on experience, skills, and education. Exempt positions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will be paid within the base salary equivalent of the stated hourly rates. The pay range may also vary within the stated range based on location.

Our Commitment

Rooted in our Mission and Core Values, we honor the dignity of every person and recognize the unique perspectives, experiences, and talents each colleague brings. By finding common ground and embracing our differences, we grow stronger together and deliver more compassionate, person-centered care.

We are 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, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Music and possess experience leading groups or classes. Experience in the mental health field is preferred for this role.

Key Skills

Mental health supportGroup facilitationTherapeutic recreational activitiesPatient safety protocolsStress reductionAnxiety managementPatient attendance trackingInstrumental performance

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 40% are remote, 22% have no call, 62% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for New York is 107.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$94k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $87k in an average-cost state. 64.6% of New York clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$94kMental Health Therapy median $54k (middle half $47k–$62k)34 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$87k in purchasing powerNew York index 107.9 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in New York325 active7,467 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 40% remote · 22% no call · 62% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedNew York counselor listings (all specialties): 10% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 10% offer loan repayment791 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,512 in the last 30 days1,354 the 30 days before (+86%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Counselor Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

25 jobs
8
<$55k
9
$55k-65k
2
$65k-75k
5
$75k-85k
1
$94k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

26 jobs
401k / retirement match
85%
CME allowance
54%
Loan repayment
27%
Sign-on bonus
15%
PSLF eligible
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 5.1
Better work-life than 40% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,558 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No nights
Trinity Health logo

About Trinity Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Albany, NY
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Tuition allowance
Strong orientation program
Career development

Living in Troy

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$302k
Typical market rent
$1,473/mo
Residents’ average commute
21 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
99.6
State income tax
Up to 10.9%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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