Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is $75,030/year ($36.07/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $161K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.13), so that salary is closer to $67,516 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,501/month, about 48% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $75K get you in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue’s Regional Price Parity (111.13). 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue
Music directors and composers pay in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue tracks closely to the national median, $75K locally vs. $74K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,501/month, which is 49.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 11% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.13), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for music directors and composers in metros near Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Salem | $57K | $55K |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $67K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $161K or more, a $110K 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 49.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,501/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,112/month. At HUD’s $2,501/month FMR, rent would take 80% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $75K locally vs. $74K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The median is $75,030 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,870, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $161,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,097/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,501/month, which eats 49.1% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has a Regional Price Parity of 111.13 (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 $67,516 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.