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Creative & Media

Music Directors and Composers

Conduct, direct, plan, and lead instrumental or vocal performances by musical artists or groups, such as orchestras, bands, choirs, and glee clubs; or create original works of music.

Median salary (BLS)

$73,710

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$40k – $166k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $91,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Music Directors and Composers

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Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

Typical progression

  1. Music Directors and Composers Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Music Directors and Composers

    Entry / Junior

    $39,880

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Music Directors and Composers

    Established

    $73,710

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Music Directors and Composers

    Senior

    $119,735

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.
  • •Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
  • •Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations.
  • •Apply elements of music theory to create musical and tonal structures, including harmonies and melodies.
  • •Consider such factors as ensemble size and abilities, availability of scores, and the need for musical variety, to select music to be performed.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Creative & Media

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.