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
$63,670
Typical range
$35k – $157k
Job outlook
See national outlook
AI exposure
Plan a path to Music Directors and Composers
Education
Typical entry: Bachelor's degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Music Directors and Composers Intern
Internship
$36,000
~4 mos to advance
Junior Music Directors and Composers
Entry / Junior
$34,990
~2 yrs to advance
Music Directors and Composers
Established
$63,670
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Music Directors and Composers
Senior
$110,340
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
Explore all- University of Southern California12% admit · $86,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
- Northwestern University7% admit · $95,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.