Salary
Average Salary: $55,000
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $2,296,140
It's not as lucrative a job as it used to be in, say, 1909, when all the hippest kids were buying a piano for the salon where they would discuss the latest invention—cars—and play some arias. However, like any store that's run well, piano shops can still make you a living. The average salary of a store owner or operator is $55,000 a year, but you can really make any amount in between $18,000 and $150,000 a year (source). It's a wide, wide window.
Where you fit in the window is all up to you—how well you build and manage your piano shop, how well you establish yourself in a community, and how good a salesperson you and/or the people you hire are. It's all on you. However, your odds of improving your salary lie in your ability to be flexible about what you offer. You might hate keyboards, but not everyone can afford a Steinway.
Sell 'em a good-quality keyboard with a smile, and they'll remember you when they have enough dough to get the piano of their dreams. It's called playing the long game.
The long game is no fun when you're working your butt off and eating ramen most nights, but it pays off in the end. Fifty-five thousand dollars is a pretty decent chunk of change. It's not exactly what Kim and Kanye make, but let's be real, very few people can match Kim's and Kanye's salaries.
Fifty-five grand will keep you fed, housed, clothed in some decent duds, and leave some money left over for fun stuff like the newest Xbox or a trip to Machu Picchu. Over the course of your career, you'll probably be able to afford both those things. It's all up to you, so get in there and rise through the ranks like the boss we know you are.