Music Directors and Composers pay range in Nashville
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $18,520 a year or less, while the top 10% make $117,820 or more. The middle half of music directors and composers in Nashville earn between $18,600 and $102,140.
- $19K10th
- $19K25th
- $85KMedian
- $102K75th
- $118K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $70,630 | $5,886 | $33.96 |
| Median | $84,660 | $7,055 | $40.70 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $18,600 | $1,550 | $8.94 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $102,140 | $8,512 | $49.11 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Music Directors and Composers pay in Nashville vs. Tennessee and the U.S.
Music directors and composers in Nashville earn about the same as the Tennessee average ($70,240) and 22% less than the U.S. average ($90,470). At the median the gap is +15% against the U.S. median of $73,710.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $70,630 | $84,660 | $18,520 | $117,820 | 310 |
| Tennessee | $70,240 | $79,640 | $18,520 | $117,820 | 400 |
| United States | $90,470 | $73,710 | $39,880 | $165,760 | 12,540 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Music Directors and Composers salary after taxes in Nashville
On the average salary of $70,630, a single filer in Nashville takes home about $58,518 a year, or $4,877 a month and $2,251 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Nashville a good place for music directors and composers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Nashville area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.3), so the average $70,630 buys what about $73,315 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Nashville ($50,390). A typical home costs $455,958, or 6.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Music Directors and Composers salary in nearby metro areas
- Atlanta, GA$71,230
- Cincinnati, OH$69,220
- Indianapolis, IN$94,900
- St. Louis, MO$66,450
- Dayton, OH$77,780
- Charlotte, NC$95,730
Highest-paying cities for music directors and composers
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($136,080).
- San Francisco, CA$136,080
- Las Vegas, NV$132,760
- Syracuse, NY$128,010
- Trenton, NJ$126,910
- New York, NY$120,330
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Music Directors and Composers salary in Nashville: questions
How much do music directors and composers make an hour in Nashville?
$33.96 an hour on average, and $40.70 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level music directors and composers salary in Nashville?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $18,520 a year and the 25th percentile is $18,600, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the music directors and composers take-home pay in Nashville?
About $58,518 a year ($4,877 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $70,630. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Do music directors and composers earn more in Nashville than elsewhere?
The average here is 22% less than the U.S. average for this job ($90,470).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-2041; area Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN (34980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 28.8%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 3.50, this job is 3.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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