Music Directors and Composers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for music directors and composers in the U.S. is $73,710 ($35.44 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $73,710
- Mean annual wage
- $90,470
- Median hourly wage
- $35.44
- Employment
- 12,540
12,540 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,880 | $19.17 |
| 25th percentile | $53,110 | $25.53 |
| Median (50th) | $73,710 | $35.44 |
| 75th percentile | $104,090 | $50.04 |
| 90th percentile | $165,760 | $79.69 |
Highest-paying states for music directors and composers
| State | Median annual wage | 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 |
| Massachusetts | $78,620 | 340 |
| Indiana | $77,270 | 200 |
Lowest-paying states
- Alabama: $42,250 median annual wage
- Illinois: $49,270 median annual wage
- Montana: $51,530 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $54,250 median annual wage
- Florida: $57,830 median annual wage
About this occupation
Conduct, direct, plan, and lead instrumental or vocal performances by musical artists or groups, such as orchestras, bands, choirs, and glee clubs; or create original works of music.
Typical tasks
- Transcribe musical compositions and melodic lines to adapt them to a particular group, or to create a particular musical style.
- Explore and develop musical ideas based on sources such as imagination or sounds in the environment.
- Study films or scripts to determine how musical scores can be used to create desired effects or moods.
- Create original musical forms, or write within circumscribed musical forms such as sonatas, symphonies, or operas.
- Copy parts from scores for individual performers.
- Position members within groups to obtain balance among instrumental or vocal sections.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 2.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 10.6% |
| Some college, no degree | 17.2% |
| Associate's degree | 5.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 38.2% |
| Master's degree | 21.7% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 4.8% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.