Director of music vs orchestra director

The differences between directors of music and orchestra directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director of music and an orchestra director. Additionally, an orchestra director has an average salary of $57,146, which is higher than the $48,096 average annual salary of a director of music.

The top three skills for a director of music include music program, music theory and general music. The most important skills for an orchestra director are student achievement, all-state, and fine arts.

Director of music vs orchestra director overview

	Director Of Music	Orchestra Director
Yearly salary	$48,096	$57,146
Hourly rate	$23.12	$27.47
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	7,394	4,789
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

Director of music vs orchestra director salary

Directors of music and orchestra directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Music	Orchestra Director
Average salary	$48,096	$57,146
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $84,000	Between $31,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	Phoenix, AZ	Odessa, TX
Highest paying state	Arizona	Alaska
Best paying company	York Prep School	Permian High School
Best paying industry	Media	Retail

Differences between director of music and orchestra director education

There are a few differences between a director of music and an orchestra director in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Music	Orchestra Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Music	Music
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Director of music vs orchestra director demographics

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

	Director Of Music	Orchestra Director
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 64.3% Female, 35.7%	Male, 48.4% Female, 51.6%
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 director of music and orchestra director duties and responsibilities

Director of music example responsibilities.

Manage entire music program, schedule ministers, concerts, and prayer services.
Achieve staff competence with 4 staff members, encouraging the growth and development of one staff member into a leadership position.
Direct 7th - 8th girls chorus.
Introduce and integrate Orff instruments to vocal songs.
Serve as rehearsal accompanist for chorus number while directing.
Draft and create costumes and props by hand for the production

Orchestra director example responsibilities.

Prepare concerts and participate in UIL concert and sight-reading competition.
Collaborate with drama teacher to compose music/libretto for musical theater setting of Cinderella.
Collaborate with drama teacher to compose music/libretto for musical theater setting of Cinderella.

Director of music vs orchestra director skills

Common director of music skills

Music Program, 19%
Music Theory, 12%
General Music, 6%
Fine Arts, 6%
Instrumental Ensembles, 5%
Music Selection, 4%

Common orchestra director skills

Student Achievement, 27%
All-State, 14%
Fine Arts, 9%
Music Theory, 6%
Music Education, 5%
General Music, 5%

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Director Of Music
Director Of Music vs Orchestra Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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