Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is $61,160/year ($29.41/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $107K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.55), that's roughly $59,639 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,810/month, about 44.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (102.55). 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Pay for music directors and composers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $74K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,810/month, which is 44% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.55) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for music directors and composers in metros near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $58K | $61K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $72K | $72K |
| Lancaster | $71K | $72K |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $74K | $79K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $107K 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 44% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,810/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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,241/month. At HUD’s $1,810/month FMR, rent would take 81% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $61K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
The median is $61,160 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,350, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $106,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,109/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,810/month, which eats 44% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.55 (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 $59,639 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.