Music Directors and Composers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for music directors and composerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New Jersey$133,540
- California$108,530
- New York$105,520
- Connecticut$105,300
- District of Columbia$97,530
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$51,980
- Montana$56,230
- Illinois$60,360
- Mississippi$63,380
- Florida$64,800
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $133,540 | $122,750 | $64 | +47.6% | 210 |
| 2 | California | $108,530 | $93,090 | $52 | +20% | 2,510 |
| 3 | New York | $105,520 | $82,930 | $51 | +16.6% | 2,370 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $105,300 | $77,070 | $51 | +16.4% | 120 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $97,530 | $84,040 | $47 | +7.8% | 140 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $93,170 | $78,620 | $45 | +3% | 340 |
| 7 | Colorado | $92,810 | $88,460 | $45 | +2.6% | 160 |
| 8 | Indiana | $91,240 | $77,270 | $44 | +0.9% | 200 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $90,360 | $78,690 | $43 | -0.1% | 200 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $88,420 | $54,250 | $43 | -2.3% | 60 |
| 11 | Washington | $87,600 | $75,060 | $42 | -3.2% | 260 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $87,060 | $74,570 | $42 | -3.8% | 90 |
| 13 | Texas | $85,750 | $65,570 | $41 | -5.2% | 480 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $84,340 | $63,380 | $41 | -6.8% | 200 |
| 15 | Utah | $83,970 | $82,570 | $40 | -7.2% | 150 |
| 16 | Maryland | $80,120 | $64,300 | $39 | -11.4% | 160 |
| 17 | Virginia | $79,160 | $59,050 | $38 | -12.5% | 370 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $74,570 | $61,160 | $36 | -17.6% | 580 |
| 19 | Georgia | $74,460 | $67,100 | $36 | -17.7% | — |
| 20 | Ohio | $73,880 | $61,380 | $36 | -18.3% | 440 |
| 21 | Missouri | $72,810 | $61,670 | $35 | -19.5% | 60 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $70,240 | $79,640 | $34 | -22.4% | 400 |
| 23 | Oregon | $69,590 | $60,800 | $33 | -23.1% | 500 |
| 24 | Michigan | $68,810 | $59,400 | $33 | -23.9% | 310 |
| 25 | Iowa | $66,750 | $61,740 | $32 | -26.2% | 120 |
| 26 | Florida | $64,800 | $57,830 | $31 | -28.4% | 570 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $63,380 | $62,240 | $30 | -29.9% | 40 |
| 28 | Illinois | $60,360 | $49,270 | $29 | -33.3% | — |
| 29 | Montana | $56,230 | $51,530 | $27 | -37.8% | 110 |
| 30 | Alabama | $51,980 | $42,250 | $25 | -42.5% | 70 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 66 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syracuse, NY | $140,230 | $128,010 | 120 |
| 2 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $115,400 | $126,910 | 30 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $112,950 | $136,080 | 320 |
| 4 | Colorado Springs, CO | $104,690 | $97,300 | 40 |
| 5 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $97,970 | $120,330 | 1,520 |
| 6 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $94,700 | $98,430 | 110 |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $93,090 | $103,350 | 1,280 |
| 8 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $84,660 | $70,630 | 310 |
| 9 | Rochester, NY | $84,130 | $86,610 | 180 |
| 10 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $82,920 | $132,760 | — |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing music directors and composerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sound Recording Industries | $108,790 | $111,340 | 630 |
| 2 | Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | $102,640 | $110,550 | 770 |
| 3 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $100,330 | $104,180 | — |
| 4 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $100,330 | $104,180 | — |
| 5 | Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers | $93,090 | $83,690 | — |
| 6 | Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | $79,730 | $92,760 | 5,350 |
| 7 | Sector 71 - Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | $79,730 | $92,730 | 5,360 |
| 8 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $79,680 | $93,770 | 30 |
| 9 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $79,680 | $93,770 | 30 |
| 10 | Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters | $79,050 | $89,130 | 450 |
| 11 | Performing Arts Companies | $78,760 | $94,750 | 4,690 |
| 12 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $74,480 | $91,310 | 12,020 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do music directors and composers make in the U.S.?
The median music directors and composers salary in the United States is $73,710 per year (mean $90,470), and about 80% earn between $39,880 and $165,760.
How much do music directors and composers make per hour?
Roughly $44 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $90,470 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays music directors and composers the most?
New Jersey has the highest average pay for music directors and composers at $133,540 per year (median $122,750).
What is the job outlook for music directors and composers?
Employment is projected to change -0.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 4,300 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.