Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Illinois is $49,270/year ($23.69/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $104K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $52,499 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 41.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $49K get you in Illinois?
About music directors and composers
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What this looks like in Illinois
Pay for music directors and composers in Illinois runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $74K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 43.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for music directors and composerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $104K or more, a $72K spread from bottom to top.
Music Directors and Composers salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $51K | +3% | N/A |
Compare to other states
Track music directors and composers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 43.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,916/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 73% 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 Illinois?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $49K here vs. $74K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Illinois pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Illinois?
The median is $49,270 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,930, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $104,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,266/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 43.1% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $52,499 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.