Choral director vs ensemble director

The differences between choral directors and ensemble directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a choral director has an average salary of $54,709, which is higher than the $51,647 average annual salary of an ensemble director.

The top three skills for a choral director include classroom management, fine arts and music education. The most important skills for an ensemble director are music education, public performances, and music theory.

Choral director vs ensemble director overview

	Choral Director	Ensemble Director
Yearly salary	$54,709	$51,647
Hourly rate	$26.30	$24.83
Growth rate	5%	8%
Number of jobs	4,783	4,732
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	44	38
Years of experience	6	-

Choral director vs ensemble director salary

Choral directors and ensemble directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Choral Director	Ensemble Director
Average salary	$54,709	$51,647
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $100,000	Between $26,000 And $102,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	DePauw University	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between choral director and ensemble director education

There are a few differences between a choral director and an ensemble director in terms of educational background:

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

Choral director vs ensemble director demographics

Here are the differences between choral directors' and ensemble directors' demographics:

	Choral Director	Ensemble Director
Average age	44	38
Gender ratio	Male, 47.1% Female, 52.9%	Male, 67.5% Female, 32.5%
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, 13.4% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	30%	19%

Differences between choral director and ensemble director 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.

Ensemble director example responsibilities.

Achieve staff competence with 4 staff members, encouraging the growth and development of one staff member into a leadership position.
Collaborate with drama teacher to compose music/libretto for musical theater setting of Cinderella.
Develop elementary music program and teach private piano and voice lessons.
Provide private piano, vocal lessons, and English language tutoring for SCS students.
Develop and implement leadership training and discipleship program for student leaders.

Choral director vs ensemble director skills

Common choral director skills

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

Common ensemble director skills

Music Education, 55%
Public Performances, 19%
Music Theory, 17%
Private Lessons, 9%

Choral Director vs. similar jobs

Choral Director related careers

Choral Director related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Industry
Choral Director
Choral Director vs Ensemble Director

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs