Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Madison, WI is $79,870/year ($38.4/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $112K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $82,095 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 22.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $80K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). 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 Madison
Music directors and composers pay in Madison tracks closely to the national median, $80K locally vs. $74K nationwide, a 8% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,168/month, 22.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) 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 Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $51K | $49K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $53K | $53K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $62K | $67K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $65K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $112K or more, a $69K 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 Madison numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 22.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for music directors and composers in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,618/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Madison?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $80K locally vs. $74K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Madison compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Madison pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Madison, WI?
The median is $79,870 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,630, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $112,390. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,116/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 22.8% 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 Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (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 $82,095 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.