27 Series · SOC 27-2041
Music Directors and Composers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $73,710
- Median / year
- $165,760
- Top 10% earn
- -0.3%
- Growth '23–'33
- 12,540
- US workers
Music Directors and Composers earn a median of $73,710 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $73,710, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $39,880 (10th percentile) to $165,760 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 12,540 US workers. New Jersey pays the most ($122,750), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Music Directors and Composers earn a median of $73,710, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 65% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media, it ranks #13 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 0.3% by 2033.
- $73,710
- Median annual wage
- Top 35%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #13 of 36
- in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- 4.2×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: New Jersey at $122,750. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Music Directors and Composers (SOC 27-2041) pays a national median of $73,710 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $39,880 at the 10th percentile to $165,760 at the 90th, with a mean of $90,470 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 12,540 Americans work in this occupation across 30 reporting states and 53 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -0.3% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 4,300 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree, with less than 5 years of prior experience generally required. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.6 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. New Jersey pays the highest state median at $122,750, which is +67% above the national figure. The top metro is Syracuse, NY at $140,230 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$73,710
per year
Median Hourly
$35.44/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$90,470
average
Employment
12,540
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Music Directors and Composers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$73,710 Top 35% higher than 65% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 27-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Music Directors and Composers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 27-series occupations with growth data, Music Directors and Composers sits on the slower-growing side at -0.3% growth and $73,710 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-0.3%
Declining
Annual Openings
4,300
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Work Experience
Less than 5 years
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.6/100K
Injury Rate
0.5/100
Danger Index
2.3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Music Directors and Composers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.
- ▸ Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
- ▸ Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations.
- ▸ Apply elements of music theory to create musical and tonal structures, including harmonies and melodies.
- ▸ Consider such factors as ensemble size and abilities, availability of scores, and the need for musical variety, to select music to be performed.
- ▸ Determine voices, instruments, harmonic structures, rhythms, tempos, and tone balances required to achieve the effects desired in a musical composition.
- ▸ Experiment with different sounds, and types and pieces of music, using synthesizers and computers as necessary to test and evaluate ideas.
- ▸ Transcribe ideas for musical compositions into musical notation, using instruments, pen and paper, or computers.
- ▸ Audition and select performers for musical presentations.
- ▸ Plan and schedule rehearsals and performances, and arrange details such as locations, accompanists, and instrumentalists.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$39,880
25th Percentile
$53,110
Median
$73,710
75th Percentile
$104,090
90th Percentile
$165,760
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 30 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $122,750 | +67% above national |
| 2 | California | $93,090 | +26% above national |
| 3 | Colorado | $88,460 | +20% above national |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $84,040 | +14% above national |
| 5 | New York | $82,930 | +13% above national |
| 6 | Utah | $82,570 | +12% above national |
| 7 | Tennessee | $79,640 | +8% above national |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $78,690 | +7% above national |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $78,620 | +7% above national |
| 10 | Indiana | $77,270 | +5% above national |
| 11 | Connecticut | $77,070 | +5% above national |
| 12 | Washington | $75,060 | +2% above national |
| 13 | Hawaii | $74,570 | +1% above national |
| 14 | Georgia | $67,100 | 9% below national |
| 15 | Texas | $65,570 | 11% below national |
| 16 | Maryland | $64,300 | 13% below national |
| 17 | North Carolina | $63,380 | 14% below national |
| 18 | Mississippi | $62,240 | 16% below national |
| 19 | Iowa | $61,740 | 16% below national |
| 20 | Missouri | $61,670 | 16% below national |
| 21 | Ohio | $61,380 | 17% below national |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $61,160 | 17% below national |
| 23 | Oregon | $60,800 | 18% below national |
| 24 | Michigan | $59,400 | 19% below national |
| 25 | Virginia | $59,050 | 20% below national |
| 26 | Florida | $57,830 | 22% below national |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $54,250 | 26% below national |
| 28 | Montana | $51,530 | 30% below national |
| 29 | Illinois | $49,270 | 33% below national |
| 30 | Alabama | $42,250 | 43% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 53 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syracuse, NY | $140,230 | +90% above national |
| 2 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $115,400 | +57% above national |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $112,950 | +53% above national |
| 4 | Colorado Springs, CO | $104,690 | +42% above national |
| 5 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $97,970 | +33% above national |
| 6 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $94,700 | +28% above national |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $93,090 | +26% above national |
| 8 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $84,660 | +15% above national |
| 9 | Rochester, NY | $84,130 | +14% above national |
| 10 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $82,920 | +12% above national |
| 11 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $82,570 | +12% above national |
| 12 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $81,770 | +11% above national |
| 13 | Madison, WI | $79,870 | +8% above national |
| 14 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $78,760 | +7% above national |
| 15 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78,760 | +7% above national |
| 16 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $76,700 | +4% above national |
| 17 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $75,030 | +2% above national |
| 18 | Cleveland, OH | $74,370 | +1% above national |
| 19 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $74,270 | +1% above national |
| 20 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $73,610 | same as national |
| 21 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $71,850 | 3% below national |
| 22 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $71,800 | 3% below national |
| 23 | Lancaster, PA | $71,100 | 4% below national |
| 24 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $69,330 | 6% below national |
| 25 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $67,590 | 8% below national |
| 26 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $66,800 | 9% below national |
| 27 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $65,190 | 12% below national |
| 28 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $64,440 | 13% below national |
| 29 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $64,300 | 13% below national |
| 30 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $64,250 | 13% below national |
| 31 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $63,850 | 13% below national |
| 32 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $63,440 | 14% below national |
| 33 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $63,290 | 14% below national |
| 34 | Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $61,870 | 16% below national |
| 35 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $61,740 | 16% below national |
| 36 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $61,670 | 16% below national |
| 37 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $61,670 | 16% below national |
| 38 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $61,160 | 17% below national |
| 39 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $60,500 | 18% below national |
| 40 | Jacksonville, FL | $60,000 | 19% below national |
| 41 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $59,720 | 19% below national |
| 42 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $58,570 | 21% below national |
| 43 | Columbus, OH | $58,490 | 21% below national |
| 44 | Richmond, VA | $57,860 | 22% below national |
| 45 | Pittsburgh, PA | $57,650 | 22% below national |
| 46 | Salem, OR | $56,730 | 23% below national |
| 47 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $55,130 | 25% below national |
| 48 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $52,900 | 28% below national |
| 49 | Akron, OH | $51,530 | 30% below national |
| 50 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $50,530 | 31% below national |
| 51 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $49,150 | 33% below national |
| 52 | Fresno, CA | $46,960 | 36% below national |
| 53 | Binghamton, NY | $40,500 | 45% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 27 (arts design entertainment sports and media) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Music Directors and Composers make? ▼
What state pays Music Directors and Composers the most? ▼
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Is Music Directors and Composers a good career? ▼
How does Music Directors and Composers pay vary by state? ▼
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What to do with this data
How to use Music Directors and Composers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $104,090/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: New Jersey leads at $122,750/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.