Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Fresno, CA is $46,960/year ($22.58/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $95K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.16), that's roughly $45,967 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,664/month, about 51.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $47K actually covers in Fresno, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fresno’s Regional Price Parity (102.16). 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 Fresno
Pay for music directors and composers in Fresno runs about 36% below the U.S. median of $74K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,664/month, which is 51.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.16) 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 composers.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for music directors and composers in metros near Fresno, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $93K | $82K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $113K | $98K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $74K | $66K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $95K | $89K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fresno, CA
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $95K or more, a $59K 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 annually. We'll email you when Fresno numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fresno?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 51.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,664/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Fresno?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,510/month. At HUD’s $1,664/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Fresno?
Local pay runs 36% below the national median — $47K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Fresno compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Fresno pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -36%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Fresno, CA?
The median is $46,960 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,710, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $94,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Fresno?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,222/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,664/month, which eats 51.6% 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 Fresno?
Fresno has a Regional Price Parity of 102.16 (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 $45,967 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.