Music Directors and Composers
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media · SOC 27-2041
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 27-2041 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 3.7%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 31/100
- Low friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $73,710
- H-1B offered wage $59,347; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 7,800
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -0.3%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 42
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 7,743 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~71.1% of this role but only ~3.7% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Arranger, Choir Director, Composer, Conductor, Music Composer, Music Director
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Coordinate musical rehearsals or performances.
- •Study details of musical compositions.
- •Create musical compositions, arrangements or scores.
- •Determine presentation subjects or content.
- •Audition or interview potential performers or staff members.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 3.7% | 18.3% |
| Outlook | Average | 18% Bright |
| Median Salary | $73,710 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 96/100 | N/A |