Music Directors and Composers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 27-2041 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$73,715
$35.44/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Music Directors and Composers is $73,715 per year ($35.44/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $53,102 and $104,083 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $165,755 per year. There are approximately 12,540 music directors and composers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-0.3%
Little or no change
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
47K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Performing Arts Companies
NAICS 711100
5K
$78,760
Religious Organizations
NAICS 813100
4K
$65,290
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
790
$61,780
Other Schools and Instruction
NAICS 611600
670
$62,230
Sound Recording Industries
NAICS 512200
630
$108,790
Wage range across top 5 industries: $61,780 to $108,790 (76% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$19.17
$39,874
P25
$25.53
$53,102
P50MEDIAN
$35.44
$73,715
P75
$50.04
$104,083
P90
$79.69
$165,755
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average music directors and composers salary?
The national median salary for Music Directors and Composers is $73,715 per year ($35.44/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $53,102 and $104,083 annually.
How much do top-earning music directors and composers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Music Directors and Composers is $165,755 per year ($79.69/hr). The 75th percentile is $104,083 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for music directors and composers?
Entry-level Music Directors and Composers (10th percentile) earn approximately $39,874 per year ($19.17/hr). The 25th percentile is $53,102 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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