Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN is $84,660/year ($40.7/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $19K at the entry level to $118K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.34), that's roughly $87,876 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,730/month, about 30.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $85K get you in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin’s Regional Price Parity (96.34). 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin sits well above the national pay line for music directors and composers, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $74K. Rent runs $1,730/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.34) 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $64K | $64K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $55K | $56K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $68K | $69K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $59K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $19K. Mid-career wages sit at $85K. Top earners bring in $118K or more, a $99K 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
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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $85K, rent takes 30.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,730/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $19K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,111/month. At HUD’s $1,730/month FMR, rent would take 156% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $85K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pays $85K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?
The median is $84,660 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $18,520, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $117,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $85K enough to live in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,662/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,730/month, which eats 30.6% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a Regional Price Parity of 96.34 (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 $87,876 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.