Musicians and Singers
Median Not published
Occupation · SOC 27-2041
Music Directors and Composers: pay and where the jobs are
What music directors and composers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$73,710 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $90,470
- Median hourly wage
- $35.44
- Mean hourly wage
- $43.50
- Employment
- 12,540
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-2041.
Check your pay
See where your pay falls among music directors and composers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Enter your pay to see where it falls.
Use these numbers
How much do music directors and composers make?
The median annual wage for music directors and composers was $73,710 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $39,880 and the highest-paid 10% more than $165,760. As an hourly rate, the median is $35.44. About 12,540 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in New Jersey ($122,750), California ($93,090) and Colorado ($88,460). New Jersey also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for music directors and composers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,880 | $19.17 | $3,323 | $2,852 |
| 25th percentile | $53,110 | $25.53 | $4,426 | $3,738 |
| Median | $73,710 | $35.44 | $6,143 | $5,057 |
| 75th percentile | $104,090 | $50.04 | $8,674 | $6,838 |
| 90th percentile | $165,760 | $79.69 | $13,813 | $10,380 |
Music Directors and Composers: pay by state
30 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$81,642 take-home in national prices
2
$70,596 take-home in national prices
3
$65,490 take-home in national prices
Where a median music directors and composer paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 210 | $122,750 | $67,690 | $205,740 | $88,830 | $81,642 |
| California | 2,510 | $93,090 | $48,600 | $175,670 | $68,696 | $62,045 |
| Colorado | 160 | $88,460 | $49,170 | $158,760 | $67,489 | $65,490 |
| District of Columbia | 140 | $84,040 | $39,310 | $159,250 | $63,777 | $58,032 |
| New York | 2,370 | $82,930 | $46,640 | $199,430 | $62,901 | $58,284 |
| Utah | 150 | $82,570 | $65,110 | $86,410 | $63,373 | $64,101 |
| Tennessee | 400 | $79,640 | $18,520 | $117,820 | $64,857 | $70,596 |
| Wisconsin | 200 | $78,690 | $43,630 | $177,040 | $61,026 | $64,856 |
| Massachusetts | 340 | $78,620 | $51,120 | $150,380 | $60,067 | $56,797 |
| Indiana | 200 | $77,270 | $47,480 | $175,610 | $60,939 | $65,295 |
| Connecticut | 120 | $77,070 | $46,430 | $207,250 | $59,175 | $57,113 |
| Washington | 260 | $75,060 | $51,230 | $161,370 | $60,594 | $56,623 |
| Hawaii | 90 | $74,570 | $53,790 | $116,390 | $57,054 | $51,890 |
| Georgia | Not published | $67,100 | $19,900 | $123,530 | $53,435 | $55,492 |
| Texas | 480 | $65,570 | $27,970 | $130,290 | $54,865 | $56,529 |
| Maryland | 160 | $64,300 | $48,450 | $124,790 | $51,157 | $48,740 |
| North Carolina | 200 | $63,380 | $38,480 | $190,280 | $51,086 | $54,159 |
| Mississippi | 40 | $62,240 | $32,700 | $87,460 | $50,432 | $57,999 |
| Iowa | 120 | $61,740 | $28,500 | $100,360 | $50,094 | $57,079 |
| Missouri | 60 | $61,670 | $44,990 | $113,670 | $49,771 | $54,803 |
| Ohio | 440 | $61,380 | $40,350 | $121,270 | $50,254 | $54,169 |
| Pennsylvania | 580 | $61,160 | $36,540 | $109,380 | $49,402 | $50,631 |
| Oregon | 500 | $60,800 | $40,340 | $115,740 | $46,632 | $45,116 |
| Michigan | 310 | $59,400 | $36,700 | $125,090 | $47,634 | $49,507 |
| Virginia | 370 | $59,050 | $42,910 | $130,980 | $47,045 | $46,532 |
| Florida | 570 | $57,830 | $36,350 | $93,510 | $48,646 | $47,040 |
| Oklahoma | 60 | $54,250 | $29,540 | $167,740 | $43,874 | $49,946 |
| Montana | 110 | $51,530 | $44,230 | $76,680 | $41,919 | $44,291 |
| Illinois | Not published | $49,270 | $31,930 | $104,000 | $39,474 | $39,491 |
| Alabama | 70 | $42,250 | $27,850 | $62,700 | $34,400 | $38,729 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-2041. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.