Upon graduation, Perkins toured Europe and returned to form his own dance band and become a songwriter. In 1934 he joined Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians and remained with them as arranger until 1938 when he joined Warner Brothers as a composer and conductor, where he remained for many years.
Perkins' career trajectory involved forming his own dance band after graduation, transitioning to songwriting, and eventually working as an arranger for Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians before joining Warner Brothers as a composer and conductor.