Music directors and composers

Detailed Occupation

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    2024 Workforce
    41.1k
    Average Age
    46.7
    Estimated Job Growth
    −0.211%
    10-year projection
    Average Salary
    $62,781
    Average Male Salary
    $74,828
    Average Female Salary
    $44,088

    About

    Music directors and composers are most often employed by the Religious organizations industry. The average yearly wage for Music directors and composers was $62,781 in 2024.

    Management, business, science, & arts occupationsEducation, legal, community service, arts, & media occupationsArts, design, entertainment, sports, & media occupations

    Employment

    Employment and salary information for the Music directors and composers workforce. Music directors and composers workforce in 2024 was 41,058 people, of which 39.2% were women and 60.8% were men.

    Employment Over Time

    Metric
    Grouping
    24,968
    Male Workforce
    ± 3.88k
    16,090
    Female Workforce
    ± 3.11k

    The Music directors and composers workforce in 2024 was 41,058 people (39.2% women and 60.8% men). This implies an average annual growth of 21.5% between 2018 (33,794) and 2024 (41,058).

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    Employment by Location

    Level
    Metric

    This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Music directors and composers.

    During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Utah ($190,295), Tennessee ($106,922), and Massachusetts ($105,194).

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    Yearly Wage Ranking

    $62,781
    AVERAGE WAGE
    #332 in the ranking (2018)
    $69,878
    NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE
    For all occupations across the US

    In 2024, Music directors and composers earned an average of $62,781, $7,096 less than the average national salary of $69,878

    The graph shows the ranking of Music directors and composers in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2018.

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    Wage Distribution

    Gender
    0.545
    WAGE GINI

    In 2024, Music directors and composers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.545, which is higher than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly for Music directors and composers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

    The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Music directors and composers compared to the entire workforce in the country.

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    Industry

    Information on the industries that employ Music directors and composers and on wages for those in the field. Religious organizations is the industry that employs the most Music directors and composers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Music directors and composers, by average wage, is Periodical, book, & directory & mailing list, & other publishers ($149,311).

    Occupations by Industries

    Metric
    Value
    41.1k
    2024 Workforce
    ± 4,974
    0.31%
    1 YEAR GROWTH
    ± 17.1%

    This graphic shows the share of Music directors and composers employed by various industries. Religious organizations employs the largest share of Music directors and composers at 63.6%, followed by Sound recording industries with 19.4% and Performing arts companies with 10.6%.

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    Diversity

    Demographic information on Music directors and composers in the US. The workforce of Music directors and composers in 2024 was 41,058 people, with 39.2% woman, and 60.8% men. The average age of male Music directors and composers in the workforce is 44.4 and of female Music directors and composers is 50.3, and the most common race/ethnicity for Music directors and composers is White.

    Gender and Age

    Metric

    The workforce of Music directors and composers in 2024 was 41,058 people, with 39.2% woman, and 60.8% men.

    The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (5,124 people), 25 to 29 years (4,337  people), and 40 to 44 years (4,081 people). Among them they concentrated 33.3% of the total workforce.

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    Ethnicity

    Gender

    In 2024, 11.9% of Music directors and composers workers were Hispanic and 88.1% non-Hispanic.

    The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (43.9%), Puerto Rican (18.2)%, and All Other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino (9.32)%

    You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

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    Races

    In 2024, 71% of the Music directors and composers workforce were White, of which 42.8% were women and 57.2% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Two or More Races (10.7%) and Black (9.55%).

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    Education & Skills

    Data on higher education choices for Music directors and composers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Music directors and composers is Visual & Performing Arts but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Visual & Performing Arts.

    Majors

    ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.
    Type of Majors
    Degree

    The most common majors achieved by Music directors and composers in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Visual & Performing Arts (11,348 people), Education (5,695 people), and Business (1,812 people).

    You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

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    Education Levels

    Metric

    The main educational levels achieved by the Music directors and composers workers were Bachelors Degree (15,687 people), Graduate Degree (12,119 people), and Some college (6,268 people).

    The graphic shows the Music directors and composers workforce by gender and educational level.

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    Projections

    Projections on job growth for Music Directors and Composers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Music Directors and Composers are expected to see a growth of −0.211% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

    Job Growth

    −0.211%
    Estimated Job Growth
    10-year Projection
    3.07%
    National Growth
    10-year Projection

    This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Music directors and composers. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.

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