Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT is $82,570/year ($39.7/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $82K at the entry level to $83K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.87), that's roughly $81,858 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,241/month, or 23.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $83K get you in Salt Lake City-Murray?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salt Lake City-Murray’s Regional Price Parity (100.87). 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 Salt Lake City-Murray
Salt Lake City-Murray sits well above the national pay line for music directors and composers, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $74K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,241/month, 23.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100.87) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Salt Lake City-Murray offers a genuinely strong financial position for music directors and composerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for music directors and composers in metros near Salt Lake City-Murray, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | $83K | $83K |
| Colorado Springs | $105K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $82K. Mid-career wages sit at $83K. Top earners bring in $83K or more, a $1K 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 Salt Lake City-Murray numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salt Lake City-Murray?
Yes — at the median salary of $83K, rent takes 23.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,241/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for music directors and composers in Salt Lake City-Murray?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $82K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,891/month. At HUD’s $1,241/month FMR, rent would take 25% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is music directors and composer a high-paying job in Salt Lake City-Murray?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $83K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Salt Lake City-Murray compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Salt Lake City-Murray pays $83K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.87), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?
The median is $82,570 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $81,510, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $82,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $83K enough to live in Salt Lake City-Murray?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,220/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,241/month, which eats 23.8% 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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
Salt Lake City-Murray has a Regional Price Parity of 100.87 (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 $81,858 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.