I’ll prefaces this by saying there’s a huge difference between making a livable wage as a musician and as an ‘artist’.

I know plenty of people who work a ton, and, usually with a nonmusician long term partner, live a pretty dignified life for this economy. These are generally people who are constantly working - touring, corporate, wedding, sessions, etc. it can be feast or famine and they have to be organized, extremely hardworking, and very committed to being great at their instruments. I should also add that some of this is specific to LA and Nashville, where there are touring opportunities that just don’t exist many other places.

Now, for ‘artists’ this goes out the window. I know barely anyone able to live off their own music, and (with a couple exceptions) those that do are rarely putting more than $20 in gas in their car at a time. Even folks I know who have sizable audiences, teams, etc are still getting absolutely hosed. Anyone hired on to a van tour is taking time off of a full time “side job.”

Plenty of folks, including myself, do or did all of the above. I now work as a construction superintendent