Average Music Directors And Composers Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Music Directors And Composers is $73,710 per year. The middle 50% earn between $53,110 and $104,090, with 12,540 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 34 states and 65 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Music Directors And Composers pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $39,880
- 25th
- $53,110
- Median
- $73,710
- 75th
- $104,090
- 90th
- $165,760
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
The pay band is unusually wide for this occupation. Experience, employer, and specialization can double or even triple an early-career salary, so what music directors and composers earn depends heavily on where they are in their career and who they work for.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for music directors and composers from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -0.3%
- -100 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 4,300
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for music directors and composers.
Where Music Directors And Composers earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where music directors and composers work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is New Jersey at $122,750, about 66.5% above the national median. At the metro level, Syracuse, NY leads with a median of $140,230.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $122,750 | 210 |
| California | $93,090 | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $88,460 | 160 |
| District of Columbia | $84,040 | 140 |
| New York | $82,930 | 2,370 |
| Utah | $82,570 | 150 |
| Tennessee | $79,640 | 400 |
| Wisconsin | $78,690 | 200 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Syracuse, NY | $140,230 | 120 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $115,400 | 30 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $112,950 | 320 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $104,690 | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $97,970 | 1,520 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $94,700 | 110 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $93,090 | 1,280 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $84,660 | 310 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see music directors and composers pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Music Directors And Composers rose from $51,670 to $73,710, a gain of +42.7% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $51,670 would need to be worth $65,067 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $73,710 is $8,643 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +13.3% in purchasing power.
Real wages have grown strongly, 13.3% above inflation. Workers in this field have meaningfully gained purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +42.7%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +13.3%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Music Directors And Composers median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $73,710
- 2024
- $63,670
- 2023
- $62,590
- 2022
- $62,940
- 2021
- $49,130
- 2020
- $52,250
- 2019
- $51,670
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Athletes And Sports Competitors
- $66,710
- Producers And Directors
- $90,360
- Choreographers
- $55,310
- Coaches And Scouts
- $47,320
- Actors
- N/A
- Dancers
- N/A
Common salary questions for Music Directors And Composers
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Music Directors And Composers workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.