I found this chart in “The Home Library Of Useful Knowledge” circa 1891.
The chart lists the average income of various trades in ascending order.
Musical instrument makers are listed at the very bottom of the chart.
In 1891 (according to the chart) 6,575 people were making musical instruments in the United States.
The average annual wage for making musical instruments in 1891 was $692.
In 1891 musical instrument makers were the highest paid artisans in the United States!
Musical instrument makers are no longer the highest paid artisans in the United States but at least the average annual wage has remained stable for 120 years.
Doug Berch
Stability is highly overrated! Miss you!
Irene
It’s good to know that we live within a stable economy…sigh… X O
Doug Berch
We are in this mess together!
Lynn
Ahem. Knit goods at top o’chart. Means you might make 3x my wage? Oh, yeah. I’m not selling what I make. Now I remember why…
Good thing charts are hypothetical, huh?
1891. Carriages, not cars. I’ll take now.