Music Directors and Composers salary
The median pay for music directors and composers in the United States is $73,710 a year. About 12,540 people hold this job.
- 10th percentile
- $39,880
- 25th percentile
- $53,110
- Median percentile
- $73,710
- 75th percentile
- $104,090
- 90th percentile
- $165,760
Percentiles show the spread of pay, not experience. BLS does not report experience, so reading the 25th percentile as "entry level" is only a rough guide. Data period: BLS OEWS May 2025.
How to become: education, skills and job outlook
Highest-paying states · Highest-paying cities
By state
- New Jersey $122,750
- California $93,090
- Colorado $88,460
- District of Columbia $84,040
- New York $82,930
- Utah $82,570
- Tennessee $79,640
- Wisconsin $78,690
- Massachusetts $78,620
- Indiana $77,270
- Connecticut $77,070
- Washington $75,060
- Hawaii $74,570
- Texas $65,570
- Maryland $64,300
- North Carolina $63,380
- Mississippi $62,240
- Iowa $61,740
- Missouri $61,670
- Ohio $61,380
- Pennsylvania $61,160
- Oregon $60,800
- Michigan $59,400
- Virginia $59,050
- Florida $57,830
- Oklahoma $54,250
- Montana $51,530
- Alabama $42,250
By metro area
- Syracuse, NY $140,230
- Trenton, NJ $115,400
- San Francisco, CA $112,950
- Colorado Springs, CO $104,690
- New York, NY $97,970
- Sacramento, CA $94,700
- Los Angeles, CA $93,090
- Nashville, TN $84,660
- Rochester, NY $84,130
- Salt Lake City, UT $82,570
- Indianapolis, IN $81,770
- Madison, WI $79,870
- Boston, MA $78,760
- Washington, DC $78,760
- Dallas, TX $76,700
- Seattle, WA $75,030
- Cleveland, OH $74,370
- San Diego, CA $74,270
- Scranton, PA $73,610
- Hartford, CT $71,850
- Allentown, PA $71,800
- Lancaster, PA $71,100
- Urban Honolulu, HI $69,330
- Charlotte, NC $67,590
- Portland, OR $66,800
- Grand Rapids, MI $65,190
- Baltimore, MD $64,300
- Providence, RI $64,250
- Dayton, OH $63,850
- Houston, TX $63,440
- Cincinnati, OH $63,290
- Des Moines, IA $61,740
- Kiryas Joel, NY $61,670
- St. Louis, MO $61,670
- Philadelphia, PA $61,160
- Miami, FL $60,500
- Jacksonville, FL $60,000
- Orlando, FL $59,720
- Raleigh, NC $58,570
- Columbus, OH $58,490
- Richmond, VA $57,860
- Pittsburgh, PA $57,650
- Virginia Beach, VA $55,130
- Detroit, MI $52,900
- Akron, OH $51,530
- Tampa, FL $49,150
- Fresno, CA $46,960
- Binghamton, NY $40,500