Band director vs band leader

The differences between band directors and band leaders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a band director and a band leader. Additionally, a band leader has an average salary of $55,494, which is higher than the $52,443 average annual salary of a band director.

The top three skills for a band director include classroom management, band program and concert band. The most important skills for a band leader are live performances, event planning, and travel arrangements.

Band director vs band leader overview

	Band Director	Band Leader
Yearly salary	$52,443	$55,494
Hourly rate	$25.21	$26.68
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	5,378	29,066
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

Band director vs band leader salary

Band directors and band leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Band Director	Band Leader
Average salary	$52,443	$55,494
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $96,000	Between $31,000 And $98,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between band director and band leader education

There are a few differences between a band director and a band leader in terms of educational background:

	Band Director	Band Leader
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	General Education, Specific Areas	Music
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Band director vs band leader demographics

Here are the differences between band directors' and band leaders' demographics:

	Band Director	Band Leader
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6%	Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 5.3% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 5.3% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	30%	30%

Differences between band director and band leader duties and responsibilities

Band director example responsibilities.

Resolve misconducts and social issues which lead to greater leadership skills and perfect orchestrate performances.
Work with others to manage DJs and volunteers, as well as plan on campus events.
Lead and direct the Orff instrument ensemble
Help students audition for college and all-state.
Plan and post content for Facebook page.
Develop curriculum for and teach speech and drama classes.

Band leader example responsibilities.

Perform diagnostics, lead audits, kaizen events, value stream mapping, PDCA teams and employee involvement.
Serve in consecutive positions of increase responsibility requiring strong interpersonal skills, extensive administrative, maintenance, and logistics backgrounds.
Serve in consecutive positions of increase responsibility requiring strong interpersonal skills, extensive administrative, maintenance, and logistics backgrounds.

Band director vs band leader skills

Common band director skills

Classroom Management, 15%
Band Program, 10%
Concert Band, 7%
Music Theory, 6%
PEP Band, 6%
Football Games, 5%

Common band leader skills

Live Performances, 27%
Event Planning, 19%
Travel Arrangements, 11%
Corporate Events, 6%
Private Events, 6%
Private Parties, 5%

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Band Director
Band Director vs Band Leader

Updated January 8, 2025

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