Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC is $67,590/year ($32.5/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $208K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.35), that's roughly $69,430 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,686/month, about 37.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $68K get you in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia’s Regional Price Parity (97.35). 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
Music directors and composers pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia tracks closely to the national median, $68K locally vs. $74K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,686/month, which is 38.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.35) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for music directors and composers in metros near Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary | $59K | $60K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $64K | $64K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $85K | $88K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $55K | $56K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $68K. Top earners bring in $208K or more, a $167K 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $68K, rent takes 38.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,686/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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,453/month. At HUD’s $1,686/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $68K locally vs. $74K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia pays $68K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.35), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
The median is $67,590 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,880, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $208,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $68K enough to live in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,408/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,686/month, which eats 38.2% 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia has a Regional Price Parity of 97.35 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median music directors and composers salary is worth about $69,430 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.