Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Oregon is $60,800/year ($29.23/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.44), that's roughly $59,352 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,555/month, about 39.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Oregon. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $61K get you in Oregon?
About music directors and composers
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What this looks like in Oregon
Pay for music directors and composers in Oregon runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $74K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,555/month, which is 40.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.44) 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, Oregon
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $75K spread from bottom to top.
Music Directors and Composers salary by metro in Oregon
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $67K | +10% | 160 |
| Salem | $57K | -7% | N/A |
Compare to other states
Track music directors and composers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Oregon numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Oregon?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 40.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,555/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Oregon?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,420/month. At HUD’s $1,555/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Oregon?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $61K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Oregon compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Oregon pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Oregon?
The median is $60,800 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,340, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $115,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Oregon?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,841/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,555/month, which eats 40.5% 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 Oregon?
Oregon has a Regional Price Parity of 102.44 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median music directors and composers salary is worth about $59,352 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.