Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Maryland is $64,300/year ($30.91/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $125K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.76), that's roughly $65,107 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,795/month, about 42.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Maryland. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $64K get you in Maryland?
About music directors and composers
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What this looks like in Maryland
Pay for music directors and composers in Maryland runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $74K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,795/month, which is 42.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.76) 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 composerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Maryland
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $125K or more, a $76K spread from bottom to top.
Music Directors and Composers salary by metro in Maryland
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $64K | +0% | 110 |
Compare to other states
Track music directors and composers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Maryland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Maryland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 42.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,795/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Maryland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,907/month. At HUD’s $1,795/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Maryland?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $64K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Maryland compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Maryland pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.76), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Maryland?
The median is $64,300 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,450, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $124,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Maryland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,228/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,795/month, which eats 42.5% 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 Maryland?
Maryland has a Regional Price Parity of 98.76 (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 $65,107 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.