Music directors and composers
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Median Salary
$63,670
~$31/hr · ~$5,306/mo
US Jobs
47K
Little or no change
AI & Automation Risk
7/10
High Risk
AI & Automation Risk
High Risk 7/10
The occupation is a hybrid of high-exposure digital work (composing) and lower-exposure physical work (conducting). Generative AI is rapidly automating music composition, arrangement, and scoring for commercial media, while the music director role remains more resilient due to the need for live leadership, physical rehearsals, and human-to-human artistic interpretation.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PABEST VALUE | $104,000 | Below avg (93.4) | $111,360 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area | $114,290 | Above avg (107.0) | $106,802 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $96,430 | Average (102.4) | $94,153 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $94,020 | Average (100.9) | $93,158 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $82,490 | Below avg (91.4) | $90,207 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $91,440 | Above avg (103.3) | $88,525 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $86,740 | Average (98.1) | $88,408 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $97,980 | Above avg (112.6) | $86,981 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $78,070 | Below avg (92.3) | $84,537 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $78,010 | Average (97.1) | $80,303 |
| Madison, WI | $76,810 | Below avg (95.9) | $80,065 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $92,930 | Above avg (117.6) | $79,055 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $73,370 | Below avg (94.7) | $77,517 |
| Syracuse, NY | $70,300 | Below avg (95.7) | $73,446 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $69,330 | Below avg (94.7) | $73,205 |
Cost of Living Index: 100 = US national average. Below 100 = cheaper. Above 100 = more expensive.
Education & Requirements
Education Required
Bachelor's degree
10-Year Growth
0% (Little or no change)
Hourly Rate
~$31/hr
Monthly Income
~$5,306/mo
Related Careers
Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics OOH (2024)