Music Directors and Composers
Music Directors and Composers earn an average annual salary of $101,136, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 13.7% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Music Directors and Composers workforce.
Employment Over Time
2,410 Workforce in 2023
The Music Directors and Composers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Music Directors and Composers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$101,136 Average Wage
In 2023, Music Directors and Composers earned an average of $101,136.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Music Directors and Composers.
Salary distribution for Music Directors and Composers.
Employment Growth Projections
2.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
10,552 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 14.2%
12,052 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 30.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.7% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Music Directors and Composers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Music Directors and Composers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Music Directors and Composers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Music Directors and Composers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-21.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Music Directors and Composers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Music Directors and Composers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 2,210 employees, $101,457 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Music Directors and Composers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,000 employees, $110,652 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 230 employees, $112,554 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 200 employees, $114,376 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 170 employees, $79,925 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 170 employees, $81,127 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 100 employees, $92,579 avg wage
- San Rafael MD: 60 employees, $112,707 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 50 employees, $82,226 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 50 employees, $90,566 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 40 employees, $60,819 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Music Directors and Composers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Music Directors and Composers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Music Directors and Composers in 2023 was 2,410 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Music Directors and Composers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Music Directors and Composers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Music Directors and Composers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Music Directors and Composers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Music Directors and Composers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Music Directors and Composers workers.
Education level distribution for Music Directors and Composers.
Skills
Music Directors and Composers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Music Directors and Composers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Music Directors and Composers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Music Directors and Composers include Fine Arts, English Language, Education and Training, Computers and Electronics, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Music Directors and Composers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Music Directors and Composers include Hearing Sensitivity, Fluency of Ideas, Written Comprehension, Originality, Information Ordering.
Required abilities for Music Directors and Composers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Music Directors and Composers.
Daily Activities
Music Directors and Composers spend their time on activities such as Thinking Creatively, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Scheduling Work and Activities.
Most important work activities for Music Directors and Composers.
About
Music Directors and Composers
The average yearly wage for Music Directors and Composers was $101,136 in 2023.
SOC Code
27-2041 - Music Directors and Composers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Music Directors and Composers reports an average salary of $101,136, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 2,410 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.