Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH is $63,850/year ($30.7/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $126K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.69), which stretches that salary to about $68,886 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,273/month, about 30.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $64K get you in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek’s Regional Price Parity (92.69). 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 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek
Pay for music directors and composers in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $74K. Rent runs $1,273/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.69 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for music directors and composers in metros near Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | $74K | $79K |
| Cincinnati | $63K | $66K |
| Columbus | $58K | $61K |
| Akron | $52K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $126K or more, a $90K 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
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 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek?
Yes — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 29.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,273/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for music directors and composers in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,148/month. At HUD’s $1,273/month FMR, rent would take 59% 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 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $64K here vs. $74K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.69), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH?
The median is $63,850 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,800, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $125,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,354/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,273/month, which eats 29.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a music directors and composers salary go in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek?
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek has a Regional Price Parity of 92.69 (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 $68,886 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.