DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 962 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 12,330 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Music Directors and Composers
Ranked by median salary from DOL filings| Rank | Employer | Median Salary | Filings | vs Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE CHURCH AT THE FALLS - THE FALLS CHURCH | $90,690 | 6 | +42.4% |
| 2 | MANDARIN BAPTIST CHURCH OF LOS ANGELES | $79,040 | 5 | +24.1% |
| 3 | Wavecrest Inc | $60,000 | 6 | -5.8% |
| 4 | COLORADO SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION | $60,000 | 6 | -5.8% |
| 5 | CUTTING EDGE MUSIC SERVICES LLC | $52,000 | 5 | -18.3% |
| 6 | Iglesia De Cristo Ministerios Llamada Final , Inc. | $52,000 | 5 | -18.3% |
| 7 | COMPUTER HELL LLC | $50,419 | 5 | -20.8% |
| 8 | CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH | $49,170 | 5 | -22.8% |
| 9 | NEW LIFE VISION CHURCH | $49,150 | 5 | -22.8% |
| 10 | THE SALVATION ARMY, WESTERN TERRITORY | $49,000 | 5 | -23% |
| 11 | CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS | $47,498 | 5 | -25.4% |
| 12 | LONG VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | $44,200 | 6 | -30.6% |
| 13 | ST. MARYS CHURCH | $44,140 | 5 | -30.7% |
| 14 | VQT Music Academy, Inc. | $42,000 | 8 | -34% |
| 15 | Faith Heritage School | $38,854 | 5 | -39% |
| 16 | ILSLEY MUSIC | $36,525 | 11 | -42.6% |
| 17 | FAITH INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP | $36,005 | 5 | -43.5% |
| 18 | Vienna Music LLC | $34,507 | 5 | -45.8% |
| 19 | FULL GOSPEL NEW YORK CHURCH | $34,486 | 5 | -45.8% |
| 20 | ISABELLA & FERDINAND ACADEMIA DE ESPAÑOL | $28,913 | 6 | -54.6% |
Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $52,000 | +13.4% | 28 | 24 |
| Flushing, NY | $50,336 | +9.8% | 12 | 10 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $50,250 | +9.6% | 36 | 28 |
| SANTA MONICA, CA | $40,800 | -11% | 10 | 7 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $97,500 | +25.3% | 4 |
| Alabama | $67,995 | +110.1% | 3 |
| Tennessee | $63,000 | N/A | 7 |
| Mississippi | $62,400 | +3.6% | 1 |
| North Carolina | $62,400 | +1% | 5 |
| North Dakota | $56,160 | N/A | 1 |
| Delaware | $56,139 | N/A | 1 |
| Connecticut | $56,000 | -39% | 6 |
| South Carolina | $55,200 | +10.6% | 4 |
| South Dakota | $54,750 | +48% | 2 |
| Colorado | $54,500 | -21.2% | 6 |
| Maryland | $51,000 | -11.7% | 11 |
| Kentucky | $50,991 | +21.8% | 10 |
| Virginia | $50,500 | +1.7% | 28 |
| Wisconsin | $49,680 | -32.5% | 1 |
| Texas | $48,064 | -6.5% | 24 |
| Arkansas | $48,006 | N/A | 1 |
| Nebraska | $48,000 | N/A | 34 |
| California | $48,000 | -35.8% | 157 |
| Minnesota | $47,736 | -22.8% | 3 |
| Michigan | $46,696 | +11.1% | 12 |
| Florida | $46,467 | -19% | 12 |
| Illinois | $45,627 | -1.5% | 15 |
| New York | $44,328 | -44.8% | 78 |
| New Hampshire | $43,680 | N/A | 1 |
| Massachusetts | $43,664 | -40% | 26 |
| Indiana | $42,288 | -41% | 4 |
| Arizona | $41,922 | N/A | 4 |
| Georgia | $41,600 | -32.1% | 8 |
| Iowa | $41,600 | -26.7% | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,290 | -33.3% | 17 |
| District of Columbia | $39,520 | N/A | 5 |
| Vermont | $39,404 | N/A | 1 |
| Louisiana | $37,861 | N/A | 2 |
| Oklahoma | $37,732 | -43.4% | 12 |
| New Jersey | $37,128 | N/A | 30 |
| Kansas | $36,026 | N/A | 2 |
| Oregon | $35,526 | -43.1% | 3 |
| Ohio | $32,000 | -47.1% | 5 |
| Hawaii | $29,266 | -62.2% | 1 |
| Missouri | $24,000 | -59.1% | 1 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Music Directors and Composers positions, 48% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 42% required a Master's degree, and 7% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| ILSLEY MUSIC | Not specified | $36,525 |
| VQT Music Academy, Inc. | Not specified | $42,000 |
| LONG VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | Not specified | $44,200 |
| Wavecrest Inc | Not specified | $60,000 |
| ISABELLA & FERDINAND ACADEMIA DE ESPAÑOL | Not specified | $28,913 |
| COLORADO SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION | Not specified | $60,000 |
| THE CHURCH AT THE FALLS - THE FALLS CHURCH | Not specified | $90,690 |
| THE SALVATION ARMY, WESTERN TERRITORY | Not specified | $49,000 |
| ST. MARYS CHURCH | Not specified | $44,140 |
| COMPUTER HELL LLC | Not specified | $50,419 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Music Directors and Composers is Arts, Entertainment, Recreation at $77,941. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Other Services at $44,793.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 962 DOL filings, the median salary for a Music Directors and Composers is $45,843, ranging from $36,400 to $57,200.
The 90th percentile salary is $157,010 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, New York, NY offers the highest median at $52,000.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Music Directors and Composers positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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