Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Syracuse, NY is $140,230/year ($67.42/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $221K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.74), that's roughly $146,470 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,392/month, or 16.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $140K actually covers in Syracuse, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Syracuse’s Regional Price Parity (95.74). 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 Syracuse
Syracuse sits well above the national pay line for music directors and composers, local pay runs about 90% higher than the U.S. median of $74K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,392/month, 16.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.74) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Syracuse offers a genuinely strong financial position for music directors and composers at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for music directors and composers in metros near Syracuse, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $98K | $87K |
| Rochester | $84K | $87K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $62K | $56K |
| Binghamton | $41K | $44K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Syracuse, NY
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $140K. Top earners bring in $221K or more, a $172K 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 annually. We'll email you when Syracuse numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Syracuse?
Yes — at the median salary of $140K, rent takes 16.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,392/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for music directors and composers in Syracuse?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,316/month. At HUD’s $1,392/month FMR, rent would take 42% 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 Syracuse?
Local pay is 90% above the national median — $140K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Syracuse compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Syracuse pays $140K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s +90%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.74), the purchasing-power equivalent is $146K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Syracuse, NY?
The median is $140,230 a year, that works out to about $67 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,630, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $221,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $140K enough to live in Syracuse?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,270/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,392/month, which eats 16.8% 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 Syracuse?
Syracuse has a Regional Price Parity of 95.74 (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 $146,470 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.