Music Directors and Composers Salary
The median pay for a music directors and composers in Virginia is $59,050/year ($28.39/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $131K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $62,296 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 42.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $59K get you in Virginia?
About music directors and composers
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What this looks like in Virginia
Pay for music directors and composers in Virginia runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $74K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 42.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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, Virginia
Entry-level music directors and composers (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $131K or more, a $88K spread from bottom to top.
Music Directors and Composers salary by metro in Virginia
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $58K | -2% | 40 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $55K | -7% | 100 |
Compare to other states
Track music directors and composers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a music directors and composer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 42.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new music directors and composers typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,575/month. At HUD’s $1,646/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 Virginia?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $59K here vs. $74K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for music directors and composers?
Virginia pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do music directors and composers make in Virginia?
The median is $59,050 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,910, and experienced music directors and composers can clear $130,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,884/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 42.4% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $62,296 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.