Music Directors and Composers: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $53,110–$104,090. 12,540 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
61% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $52,473.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 4,200 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Music | 42% | Music |
| Art And Music Education | 6% | — |
| Computer Science | 5% | Computer Science |
| Psychology | 3% | Psychology |
| Film Video And Photographic Arts | 2% | Film and Photography |
| Marketing And Marketing Research | 2% | Marketing · Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations |
| Philosophy And Religious Studies | 2% | Philosophy · Religious Studies |
| Communications | 2% | Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other |
| General Business | 2% | Business |
| Liberal Arts | 2% | Liberal Arts / General Studies |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $122,750 |
| California | $93,090 |
| Colorado | $88,460 |
| District of Columbia | $84,040 |
| New York | $82,930 |
| Utah | $82,570 |
| Tennessee | $79,640 |
| Wisconsin | $78,690 |
| Massachusetts | $78,620 |
| Indiana | $77,270 |
| Connecticut | $77,070 |
| Washington | $75,060 |
| Hawaii | $74,570 |
| Georgia | $67,100 |
| Texas | $65,570 |
| Maryland | $64,300 |
| North Carolina | $63,380 |
| Mississippi | $62,240 |
| Iowa | $61,740 |
| Missouri | $61,670 |
| Ohio | $61,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,160 |
| Oregon | $60,800 |
| Michigan | $59,400 |
| Virginia | $59,050 |
| Florida | $57,830 |
| Oklahoma | $54,250 |
| Montana | $51,530 |
| Illinois | $49,270 |
| Alabama | $42,250 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$60,500
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$49,150
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$59,720
- Jacksonville$60,000
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$78,760
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$55,130
- Richmond$57,860
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$93,090
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$112,950
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$74,270
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$94,700
- Fresno$46,960
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
Knowledge used
- Fine Arts
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
Work styles
- Innovation
- Leadership Orientation
- Self-Confidence
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Social Orientation
People in this job tend to have Artistic (creative), Enterprising (leading) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Music Directors and Composers: questions
How much do music Directors and Composers make?
Music Directors and Composers earn a U.S. median $73,710 a year; the middle half earn $53,110 to $104,090 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $50,762 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is music Directors and Composers a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 1.2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,200 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a music Directors and Composer?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 77% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is music (42%).
How much do music Directors and Composers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $57,830 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $73,710 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 27-2041. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Music Directors and Composers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/music-directors-and-composers.