Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is $64,300/year ($30.91/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.49), that's roughly $61,537 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,857/month, about 44.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $64K get you in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson’s Regional Price Parity (104.49). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About music directors and composers
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What this looks like in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Pay for music directors and composers in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $74K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,857/month, which is 43.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.49) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for music directors and composerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for music directors and composers in metros near Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $79K | $72K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $61K | $60K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $55K | $56K |
| Pittsburgh | $58K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $67K spread from bottom to top.
Music Directors and Composers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Music Directors and Composers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $123K | +67% | 210 |
| California | $93K | +26% | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $88K | +20% | 160 |
| District of Columbia | $84K | +14% | 140 |
| New York | $83K | +13% | 2,370 |
| Utah | $83K | +12% | 150 |
| Tennessee | $80K | +8% | 400 |
| Wisconsin | $79K | +7% | 200 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +7% | 340 |
| Indiana | $77K | +5% | 200 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +5% | 120 |
| Washington | $75K | +2% | 260 |
| Hawaii | $75K | +1% | 90 |
| Georgia | $67K | -9% | N/A |
| Texas | $66K | -11% | 480 |
| Maryland | $64K | -13% | 160 |
| North Carolina | $63K | -14% | 200 |
| Mississippi | $62K | -16% | 40 |
| Iowa | $62K | -16% | 120 |
| Missouri | $62K | -16% | 60 |
| Ohio | $61K | -17% | 440 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -17% | 580 |
| Oregon | $61K | -18% | 500 |
| Michigan | $59K | -19% | 310 |
| Virginia | $59K | -20% | 370 |
| Florida | $58K | -22% | 570 |
| Oklahoma | $54K | -26% | 60 |
| Montana | $52K | -30% | 110 |
| Illinois | $49K | -33% | N/A |
| Alabama | $42K | -43% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 30 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track music directors and composers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Baltimore-Columbia-Towson numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 43.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,857/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for music directors and composers in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,907/month. At HUD’s $1,857/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is music directors and composer a high-paying job in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $64K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Baltimore-Columbia-Towson compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The median is $64,300 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,450, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $115,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,228/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,857/month, which eats 43.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a music directors and composers salary go in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson has a Regional Price Parity of 104.49 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median music directors and composers salary is worth about $61,537 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do music directors and composers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.