Music Directors and Composers pay range in Seattle
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,870 a year or less, while the top 10% make $161,370 or more. The middle half of music directors and composers in Seattle earn between $61,390 and $95,880.
- $52K10th
- $61K25th
- $75KMedian
- $96K75th
- $161K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42.31 |
| Median | $75,030 | $6,252 | $36.07 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $61,390 | $5,116 | $29.51 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $95,880 | $7,990 | $46.10 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Music Directors and Composers pay in Seattle vs. Washington and the U.S.
Music directors and composers in Seattle earn about the same as the Washington average ($87,600) and about the same as the U.S. average ($90,470). At the median the gap is +2% against the U.S. median of $73,710.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $88,000 | $75,030 | $51,870 | $161,370 | 190 |
| Washington | $87,600 | $75,060 | $51,230 | $161,370 | 260 |
| 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 Seattle
On the average salary of $88,000, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $70,738 a year, or $5,895 a month and $2,721 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Is Seattle a good place for music directors and composers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1), so the average $88,000 buys what about $79,184 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 8.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Music Directors and Composers salary in nearby metro areas
- Portland, OR$65,380
- Salem, OR$64,990
- Sacramento, CA$98,430
- Salt Lake City, UT$80,470
- San Francisco, CA$136,080
- Fresno, CA$60,320
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 Seattle: questions
How much do music directors and composers make an hour in Seattle?
$42.31 an hour on average, and $36.07 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level music directors and composers salary in Seattle?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,870 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,390, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the music directors and composers take-home pay in Seattle?
About $70,738 a year ($5,895 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $88,000. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Do music directors and composers earn more in Seattle than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 9.6%.
- 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. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.12, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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