Music Directors and Composers
SOC 27-2041 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $95,696per year
- Projected openings
- 4,320
- Projected change
- +4.5%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $95,458 | 310 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $95,458 | 380 |
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | $91,548 | 80 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $77,026 | 1,660 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $75,785 | 200 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $68,787 | 320 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $65,945 | 320 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $55,930 | 50 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA (Santa Cruz County) | $52,961 | 70 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $49,960
- A quarter earn under
- $68,680
- Half earn under
- $95,696
- Three quarters earn under
- $129,969
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $180,588
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Musicians and Singers | Not reported | 19,460 | +4.3% |
| Producers and Directors | $133,423 | 31,850 | +12.2% |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $102,193 | 8,060 | +0.9% |
| Therapists, All Other | $84,049 | 2,050 | +20.8% |
| Art Directors | $141,637 | 30,370 | +5.5% |
| Writers and Authors | $88,901 | 23,670 | +7% |
Programs that train for this job — 3
Recording Arts & Technology
Globe Institute of Recording and Production · Sausalito · $3,000
MUSX: Music Industry Studies Certificate of Achievement
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $2,020
MUSX: Music Industry Studies Associate in Arts degree
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $4,772