Choral director vs director of instrumental music

The differences between choral directors and directors of instrumental music can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a choral director and a director of instrumental music. Additionally, a choral director has an average salary of $54,709, which is higher than the $51,722 average annual salary of a director of instrumental music.

The top three skills for a choral director include classroom management, fine arts and music education. The most important skills for a director of instrumental music are music theory, jazz ensemble, and music program.

Choral director vs director of instrumental music overview

	Choral Director	Director Of Instrumental Music
Yearly salary	$54,709	$51,722
Hourly rate	$26.30	$24.87
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	4,783	7,388
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

Choral director vs director of instrumental music salary

Choral directors and directors of instrumental music have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Choral Director	Director Of Instrumental Music
Average salary	$54,709	$51,722
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $100,000	Between $28,000 And $93,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	DePauw University	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between choral director and director of instrumental music education

There are a few differences between a choral director and a director of instrumental music in terms of educational background:

	Choral Director	Director Of Instrumental Music
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Music	Music
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Choral director vs director of instrumental music demographics

Here are the differences between choral directors' and directors of instrumental music' demographics:

	Choral Director	Director Of Instrumental Music
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 47.1% Female, 52.9%	Male, 79.5% Female, 20.5%
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 choral director and director of instrumental music duties and responsibilities

Choral director example responsibilities.

Manage entire music program, schedule ministers, concerts, and prayer services.
Produce and direct a full Broadway Jr. production of Annie.
Continue to serve as a UIL choral adjudicator across the state.
Collaborate with drama teacher to compose music/libretto for musical theater setting of Cinderella.
Accompany all the choirs on the piano and organ for services, concerts, and special events.
Produce and direct a full Broadway Jr. production of Annie.

Director of instrumental music example responsibilities.

Achieve staff competence with 4 staff members, encouraging the growth and development of one staff member into a leadership position.
Provide expert instruction to brass instrumentalists on musicianship and marching techniques.
Develop and implement leadership training and discipleship program for student leaders.

Choral director vs director of instrumental music skills

Common choral director skills

Classroom Management, 18%
Fine Arts, 9%
Music Education, 9%
Music Theory, 8%
Choral Music, 7%
Student Learning, 6%

Common director of instrumental music skills

Music Theory, 17%
Jazz Ensemble, 15%
Music Program, 9%
General Music, 8%
Music Curriculum, 8%
Concert Band, 6%

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Choral Director vs Director Of Instrumental Music

Updated January 8, 2025

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