Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Mississippi is $62,240/year ($29.92/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.9), which stretches that salary to about $70,011 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,077/month, or 26.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Mississippi. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $62K get you in Mississippi?
About music directors and composers
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What this looks like in Mississippi
Pay for music directors and composers in Mississippi runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $74K. Rent runs $1,077/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.9 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Mississippi
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $55K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track music directors and composers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Mississippi numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Mississippi?
Yes — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 26.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,077/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for music directors and composers in Mississippi?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,962/month. At HUD’s $1,077/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Mississippi?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $62K here vs. $74K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Mississippi compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Mississippi pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Mississippi?
The median is $62,240 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,700, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $87,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Mississippi?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,094/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,077/month, which eats 26.3% 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 Mississippi?
Mississippi has a Regional Price Parity of 88.9 (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 $70,011 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.