Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $61,740/year ($29.68/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $67,328 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 32.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $62K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines
Pay for music directors and composers in Des Moines-West Des Moines runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $74K. Rent runs $1,318/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $51K | $49K |
| Madison | $80K | $82K |
| St. Louis | $62K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $29K 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 32.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,806/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 47% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $62K here vs. $74K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $61,740 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,760, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $75,700. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,046/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 32.6% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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 $67,328 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.