Turns a composer's sketches into full scores for orchestra, assigning every line to specific instruments for film, games, theater and concerts. BLS does not publish separate figures for music directors and composers; it counts them within music director and composer (SOC 27-2041), whose median pay is $73,710 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 27-2041
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Orchestrator in four numbers
- Median pay
- $73,710a year, or $35.44/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $40KTop 10% $166K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +1.2%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+1.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +1.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4,20051,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202551.1K
- Projected 203551.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 51.1K Projected 2035 51.7K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school5.1%
- Some college6.2%
- Associate's7.9%
- Bachelor's24%
- Master's28.2%
- Doctorate20.6%
Highest education held by music directors and composers Segment Value Less than high school 5.1% Some college 6.2% Associate's 7.9% Bachelor's 24% Master's 28.2% Doctorate 20.6%
Also advertised as: Film Orchestrator, Music Orchestrator, Lead Orchestrator, Score Orchestrator.
Pay
How much do Music Directors and Composers make?
Every orchestrator in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$73,710
Middle half earn $53,110 to $104,090
- 10th
- $39,880
- 25th
- $53,110
- 75th
- $104,090
- 90th
- $165,760
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $39,880 |
| 25th | $53,110 |
| Median | $73,710 |
| 75th | $104,090 |
| 90th | $165,760 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $73,710
- Median hourly wage
- $35.44/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $90,470
- People employed
- 12,540
Versus all US occupations
At $73,710, Music Directors and Composers earn 45% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $22,730 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 8% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $165,760 or more while the bottom 10% earn $39,880, a gap of 4.2×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 47% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Jersey pays the most at $122,750, and still leads at $112,817 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Music Directors and Composers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Jersey | $122,750 | $112,817 | 210 |
| 2California | $93,090 | $84,077 | 2,510 |
| 3Colorado | $88,460 | $85,840 | 160 |
| 4District of Columbia | $84,040 | $76,469 | 140 |
| 5New York | $82,930 | $76,843 | 2,370 |
| 6Utah | $82,570 | $83,519 | 150 |
| 7Tennessee | $79,640 | $86,688 | 400 |
| 8Wisconsin | $78,690 | $83,628 | 200 |
| 9Massachusetts | $78,620 | $74,340 | 340 |
| 10Indiana | $77,270 | $82,793 | 200 |
Job outlook
Is Orchestrator a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +1.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Music Directors and Composers | +1.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Music Directors and Composers to change 1.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 4,200 openings are projected each year, 8.2% of the 51,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Orchestrator
Most orchestrators hold a bachelor's or master's degree in composition, film scoring or music theory, and need fluent knowledge of every orchestral instrument's range and technique. Notation software such as Sibelius or Dorico and a digital audio workstation are daily tools.
The usual route is assisting: working as a copyist, music preparation assistant or junior orchestrator for an established composer or orchestration team. Many orchestrators in film work under American Federation of Musicians agreements, and composers' groups such as the Society of Composers and Lyricists offer networking. A portfolio of scores, ideally recorded by live players, is what gets people hired.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as music directors and composers.
- Master's Degree28.2%
- Bachelor's Degree24%
- Doctoral Degree20.6%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree7.9%
- Some College Courses6.2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 28.2% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 24% |
| Doctoral Degree | 20.6% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 7.9% |
| Some College Courses | 6.2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Orchestrator do?
Orchestrators take a composer's piano sketch, MIDI mockup or short score and expand it into a full score that dozens of musicians can play. They decide which instruments carry the melody, how harmonies are voiced across strings, brass and woodwinds, and how to keep the texture clear under dialogue or sound effects.
Much of the work is for film, television and video game scores, where tight deadlines mean a lead orchestrator often manages a team. Orchestrators also work on Broadway shows, pop artists' live orchestra concerts and concert works. They hand finished scores to copyists or prepare parts themselves, and often attend recording sessions to fix problems on the spot.
Day-to-day tasks
- Expand composer sketches and mockups into full orchestral scores
- Assign melodic and harmonic lines to specific instruments
- Adjust voicings so music sits clearly under dialogue and effects
- Prepare or proofread individual instrumental parts
- Coordinate with copyists and music preparation teams
- Attend recording sessions to correct errors and answer musicians' questions
- Meet deadlines set by the film, game or theater production schedule
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Orchestrators mostly work at a desk in a home studio, often remotely for teams in Los Angeles, New York or London. Deadlines on film and game projects can mean late nights and weekend work. Recording sessions take place in scoring stages and studios.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.6
- Reading Comprehension3.5
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Writing3.4
- Active Learning3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.5 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 |
| Writing | 3.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Coordination3.4
- Persuasion3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Management of Personnel Resources3.1
- Negotiation3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 |
| Coordination | 3.4 |
| Persuasion | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Desktop publishing software
- Music or sound editing software
- Video creation and editing software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Orchestrator?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code AIC) built on O*NET's Music Director and Composer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Orchestrator |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 7 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Artistic7.0
- Enterprising4.8
- Conventional3.6
- Investigative3.5
- Social3.0
- Realistic2.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Orchestrator
O*NET related occupations
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Art, Drama, and Music Teacher, Postsecondary
$78,620median a year
Most earn $48K to $163K
+2.2%Master's - Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
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More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with music directors and composers highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Orchestrator$73,710
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Orchestrator | $73,710 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Orchestrator appears on
Questions
Orchestrator: frequently asked questions
How much do Music Directors and Composers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for music directors and composers. It counts them within music director and composer, whose median pay is $73,710 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $53,110 and $104,090, and the top 10% earn $165,760 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Orchestrator?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Music Directors and Composers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 28.2% hold master's degree.
Is Orchestrator a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.2% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 4,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Orchestrator do?
Orchestrators take a composer's piano sketch, MIDI mockup or short score and expand it into a full score that dozens of musicians can play. A typical task: expand composer sketches and mockups into full orchestral scores. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Music Directors and Composers the most?
The highest state medians for Music Directors and Composers are New Jersey ($122,750), California ($93,090), Colorado ($88,460) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Orchestrator?
O*NET scores Music Directors and Composers highest on the Artistic, Enterprising and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFP, INFP, ENTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.