Music Director and Composer Salary in the U.S.
Median annual pay in the U.S.
$73,710
$35.44/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,880 | $19.17 |
| 25th percentile | $53,110 | $25.53 |
| Median | $73,710 | $35.44 |
| 75th percentile | $104,090 | $50.04 |
| 90th percentile | $165,760 | $79.69 |
Employment
- Employment in the U.S.
- 12,540
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Comparison
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | ||
| 1st | $122,750 | $112,817 1st |
| California | ||
| 2nd | $93,090 | $84,077 4th |
| Colorado | ||
| 3rd | $88,460 | $85,840 3rd |
| District of Columbia | ||
| 4th | $84,040 | $76,469 9th |
| New York | ||
| 5th | $82,930 | $76,843 8th |
| Utah | ||
| 6th | $82,570 | $83,519 6th |
| Tennessee | ||
| 7th | $79,640 | $86,688 2nd |
| Wisconsin | ||
| 8th | $78,690 | $83,628 5th |
| Massachusetts | ||
| 9th | $78,620 | $74,340 11th |
| Indiana | ||
| 10th | $77,270 | $82,793 7th |
| Connecticut | ||
| 11th | $77,070 | $74,385 10th |
| Washington | ||
| 12th | $75,060 | $70,141 14th |
| Hawaii | ||
| 13th | $74,570 | $67,821 17th |
| Georgia | ||
| 14th | $67,100 | $69,683 15th |
| Texas | ||
| 15th | $65,570 | $67,558 18th |
| Maryland | ||
| 16th | $64,300 | $61,262 24th |
| North Carolina | ||
| 17th | $63,380 | $67,193 19th |
| Mississippi | ||
| 18th | $62,240 | $71,579 12th |
| Iowa | ||
| 19th | $61,740 | $70,349 13th |
| Missouri | ||
| 20th | $61,670 | $67,906 16th |
| Ohio | ||
| 21st | $61,380 | $66,161 20th |
| Pennsylvania | ||
| 22nd | $61,160 | $62,682 21st |
| Oregon | ||
| 23rd | $60,800 | $58,823 25th |
| Michigan | ||
| 24th | $59,400 | $61,735 23rd |
| Virginia | ||
| 25th | $59,050 | $58,405 26th |
| Florida | ||
| 26th | $57,830 | $55,921 27th |
| Oklahoma | ||
| 27th | $54,250 | $61,758 22nd |
| Montana | ||
| 28th | $51,530 | $54,446 28th |
| Illinois | ||
| 29th | $49,270 | $49,291 29th |
| Alabama | ||
| 30th | $42,250 | $47,567 30th |
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Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Musician and Singer salary in the U.S.
$47.80/hour U.S.
- Choreographer salary in the U.S.
$55,310/year U.S.
- Producer and Director salary in the U.S.
$90,360/year U.S.
- Therapists, All Other salary in the U.S.
$77,930/year U.S.
- Writer and Author salary in the U.S.
$76,910/year U.S.
- Art Director salary in the U.S.
$114,850/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +1.2%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Bachelor's degree
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Last updated