Careers / Music Directors and Composers
Music Directors and Composers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$73,710
United States, 2025
Employment
12,540
United States, 2025
Typical education
Master's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 27-2041.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
Typical tasks
- Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.
- Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
- Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations.
- Apply elements of music theory to create musical and tonal structures, including harmonies and melodies.
- Consider such factors as ensemble size and abilities, availability of scores, and the need for musical variety, to select music to be performed.
- Determine voices, instruments, harmonic structures, rhythms, tempos, and tone balances required to achieve the effects desired in a musical composition.
- Experiment with different sounds, and types and pieces of music, using synthesizers and computers as necessary to test and evaluate ideas.
- Transcribe ideas for musical compositions into musical notation, using instruments, pen and paper, or computers.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$39,880
25th percentile
$53,110
75th percentile
$104,090
90th percentile
$165,760
Most important skills
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Reading Comprehension3.5
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Coordination3.4
- Active Learning3.4
- Writing3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Persuasion3.3
- Management of Personnel Resources3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 16 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
16
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.6 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Coordination | 3.4 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.5 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Writing | 3.4 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | — | Not selected | — |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Music Directors and ComposersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse, NY | $140,230 | 120 | 2025 |
| NJ | $122,750 | 210 | 2025 |
| Trenton, NJ | $115,400 | 30 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $112,950 | 320 | 2025 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $104,690 | 40 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $97,970 | 1,520 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $94,700 | 110 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $93,090 | 1,280 | 2025 |
| CA | $93,090 | 2,510 | 2025 |
| CO | $88,460 | 160 | 2025 |
| Nashville, TN | $84,660 | 310 | 2025 |
| Rochester, NY | $84,130 | 180 | 2025 |
| DC | $84,040 | 140 | 2025 |
| NY | $82,930 | 2,370 | 2025 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $82,920 | — | 2025 |
| UT | $82,570 | 150 | 2025 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $82,570 | 100 | 2025 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $81,770 | 90 | 2025 |
| Madison, WI | $79,870 | 70 | 2025 |
| TN | $79,640 | 400 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Music Directors and Composers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.