Musical Directors and Composers

Median Salary: $45,100

Many musical directors and composers across the United States share a few key professional traits. For example, self control, concern for others, and cooperation can be crucial for success in the industry, especially when blended with career training. Around 14,330 folks were employed as musical directors and composers nationwide in 2009. With that much workplace competition, it's vital to utilize these characteristics and receive solid training, particularly if you're aiming to progress in the field.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual income for musical directors and composers in the U.S. was $45,100 in 2009, which works out to a median hourly wage of $21.70. Of course, income can vary with training and by location. Below, you'll find more data about musical directors and composers, including wages and job density for metro areas all over the United States.

Musical directors and composers should be skilled in:

  • Speech Clarity
  • Auditory Attention
  • Speech Recognition
  • Deductive Reasoning
  • Finger Dexterity

Different folks go into different careers; musical directors and composers are typically:

  • Artistic
  • Enterprising
  • Social

Working as a musical director or composer requires knowledge in subjects like:

  • Computers and Electronics
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Psychology
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Philosophy and Theology

Related Occupations

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Below, you'll see links to more information on the top cities for this occupation (based on the number of folks employed as musical directors and composers). Note: "Job density" refers to the proportion of musical directors and composers in each city as compared to the national average.

Alabama
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Birmingham 30 $44,200 $21.20 $51,300 $24.70 -36.4%
Arizona
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Phoenix 130 $40,100 $19.30 $47,600 $22.90 -31.8%
Arkansas
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Little Rock 50 NA NA NA NA 27.3%
California
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Los Angeles (Area) 520 $46,800 $22.50 $79,200 $38.10 -25.5%
Oakland 330 $65,100 $31.30 $72,700 $34.90 202.7%
Oxnard 30 $50,600 $24.30 $67,300 $32.40 -2.7%
Riverside 120 $58,000 $27.90 $69,400 $33.40 -10%
San Diego 200 $66,300 $31.90 $83,400 $40.10 42.7%
San Francisco (Area) 480 $68,300 $32.80 $77,800 $37.40 122.7%
San Francisco (City) 150 $71,500 $34.40 $82,900 $39.80 42.7%
San Jose 130 $51,800 $24.90 $64,200 $30.80 34.5%
Colorado
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Denver 30 $31,900 $15.30 $43,300 $20.80 -76.4%
Connecticut
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Bridgeport 60 $52,800 $25.40 $73,000 $35.10 21.8%
Hartford 40 $51,500 $24.70 $73,100 $35.10 -38.2%
District of Columbia
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Washington (Area) 230 $48,400 $23.30 $71,200 $34.20 -32.7%
Florida
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Bradenton 60 $21,800 $10.50 $53,500 $25.70 112.7%
Jacksonville 70 NA NA NA NA 8.2%
Miami (Area) NA $48,300 $23.20 $60,100 $28.90 NA
Orlando 40 $44,000 $21.20 $57,000 $27.40 -63.6%
Tampa 120 $46,000 $22.10 $51,000 $24.50 -5.5%
Georgia
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Atlanta 130 $47,000 $22.60 $65,800 $31.60 -47.3%
Hawaii
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Honolulu 90 NA NA NA NA 90%
Illinois
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Chicago (Area) 690 $44,300 $21.30 $55,700 $26.80 56.4%
Indiana
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Indianapolis 50 $50,300 $24.20 $60,100 $28.90 -45.5%
Iowa
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Cedar Rapids 30 $32,200 $15.50 $44,300 $21.30 114.5%
Davenport 30 $37,300 $17.90 $66,600 $32.00 50.9%
Maryland
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Baltimore 150 $47,000 $22.60 $76,600 $36.80 9.1%
Massachusetts
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Boston (Area) 210 $51,800 $24.90 $69,400 $33.40 14.5%
Michigan
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Detroit (Area) 150 $56,500 $27.20 $63,100 $30.30 26.4%
Grand Rapids 30 $43,400 $20.90 $65,700 $31.60 -16.4%
Minnesota
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Duluth 40 $50,100 $24.10 $55,700 $26.80 215.5%
Minneapolis 240 $54,400 $26.20 $70,100 $33.70 28.2%
Mississippi
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Jackson 30 $45,900 $22.10 $55,400 $26.60 24.5%
Missouri
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Kansas City 60 $43,700 $21.00 $51,000 $24.50 -49.1%
St. Louis 60 $37,100 $17.80 $54,800 $26.30 -56.4%
Nevada
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Las Vegas 30 $102,500 $49.30 $126,500 $60.80 -68.2%
New Jersey
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Trenton 80 $46,800 $22.50 $79,000 $38.00 220.9%
New York
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Albany 180 $42,000 $20.20 $49,600 $23.80 270%
Buffalo 230 NA NA NA NA 287.3%
New York (Area) 1,440 NA NA NA NA 40%
Poughkeepsie 100 $28,700 $13.80 $32,200 $15.50 288.2%
Rochester 180 $27,000 $13.00 $43,000 $20.70 227.3%
Syracuse 80 $41,800 $20.10 $52,400 $25.20 130.9%
Utica 40 NA NA NA NA 181.8%
North Carolina
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Charlotte NA $30,100 $14.50 $42,900 $20.60 NA
North Dakota
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Fargo 40 $45,500 $21.90 $57,500 $27.60 168.2%
Ohio
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Cincinnati 60 $47,800 $23.00 $64,600 $31.10 -45.5%
Cleveland 40 $51,900 $25.00 $65,300 $31.40 -60.9%
Columbus 80 $60,600 $29.10 $68,200 $32.80 -19.1%
Toledo 60 NA NA NA NA 100.9%
Oklahoma
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Oklahoma City 50 $32,800 $15.80 $40,500 $19.50 -23.6%
Oregon
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Corvallis 40 NA NA NA NA 941.8%
Eugene 40 $30,200 $14.50 $48,400 $23.30 125.5%
Medford 50 $50,900 $24.50 $55,100 $26.50 449.1%
Portland 430 $30,200 $14.50 $42,800 $20.60 291.8%
Salem 40 $47,800 $23.00 $84,100 $40.40 130%
Pennsylvania
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Philadelphia (Area) 150 $41,000 $19.70 $74,800 $36.00 -27.3%
Pittsburgh 170 $44,200 $21.30 $51,700 $24.80 39.1%
Scranton 70 $27,600 $13.20 $31,500 $15.20 138.2%
Rhode Island
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Providence 80 $38,000 $18.30 $57,400 $27.60 40%
South Carolina
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Spartanburg 50 $43,200 $20.80 $51,500 $24.80 261.8%
Tennessee
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Nashville 120 $41,200 $19.80 $47,200 $22.70 50.9%
Texas
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Austin 90 $44,800 $21.50 $49,700 $23.90 0.9%
Dallas (Area) 300 $60,200 $28.90 $71,000 $34.10 -22.7%
Houston 190 $56,400 $27.10 $70,000 $33.70 -32.7%
Longview 40 $46,300 $22.30 $53,900 $25.90 269.1%
San Antonio 100 $56,800 $27.30 $67,000 $32.20 11.8%
Virginia
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Richmond 40 $33,900 $16.30 $54,900 $26.40 -34.5%
Virginia Beach 120 $29,800 $14.30 $50,900 $24.50 52.7%
Washington
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Seattle (Area) 50 $62,400 $30.00 $73,600 $35.40 -65.5%
Wisconsin
City/Area Employees Median
Annual Salary
Median
Hourly Wage
Top 25%
Annual Salary
Top 25%
Hourly Wage
Job Density
Madison 70 $57,200 $27.50 $64,200 $30.90 87.3%
Milwaukee 80 $53,900 $25.90 $75,900 $36.50 -6.4%