How to hire a high school music director

How to hire a high school music director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step high school music director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a high school music director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new high school music director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your high school music director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a high school music director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   Hiring the perfect high school music director also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of high school music directors.

   Type of High School Music Director	Description	Hourly rate
   High School Music Director	Music directors, also called conductors, lead orchestras and other musical groups during performances and recording sessions. Composers write and arrange original music in a variety of musical styles.	$18-38
   Director Of Music	A music director is responsible for leading the musical aspects of a theatre production, monitoring the performance of musical groups to ensure the audience's satisfaction, as well as smooth show transitions. Music directors evaluate the production's concept and select the best music pieces... Show more	$12-40
   Minister Of Music	A Minister of Music coordinates, rehearses, and directs all choirs of a church, as appropriate. They assist the pastor in planning the congregational services of the church.	$13-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Fine Arts
   • Music Theory
   • Curriculum Development
   • K-12
   • All-State
   • Chorus
   • Drama
   • Music Appreciation
   • Social Studies
   • Instructional Leadership
   • Professional Development
   • Jazz Band
   • Choirs
   • Concert Band

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Achieve staff competence with 4 staff members, encouraging the growth and development of one staff member into a leadership position.
   • Establish and maintain relationships with colleges, community organizations, and other schools to coordinate educational services.
   • Establish and maintain relationships with colleges, community organizations, and other schools to coordinate educational services.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your high school music director job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A high school music director salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, high school music directors' average salary in kansas is 57% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level high school music directors earn 52% less than senior-level high school music directors.
   • Certifications. A high school music director with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a high school music director's salary.

   Average high school music director salary

   $56,794yearly

   $27.30 hourly rate

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   Entry-level high school music director salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

4. Writing a high school music director job description

   A job description for a high school music director role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a high school music director job description:

   High school music director job description example

   To teach and develop the general music studies program in a secondary school.
   
   Major Responsibilities:
   
   * Teach the sequential music curriculum as established by the Texas Education Agency, District Board Policies and other administrative regulations.
   * Develop a handbook and articulate the plan and expectations to students, parents, administration, and community.
   * Plan and use appropriate instructional and learning strategies, activities, materials, and equipment that reflects an understanding of content knowledge specific to the discipline, pedagogical content knowledge, diverse learning styles, assessment strategies and culturally responsive teaching practices.
   * Increase student achievement by conducting ongoing student assessment and adjusting teaching accordingly.
   * Provide students with the opportunity to work on projects, complete assignments and rehearse before and afterschool.
   * Coordinate all activities that pertain to general music studies as specified by the Coordinator of Secondary Choral Music/General Music Studies.
   * Provide opportunities, register and prepare students to participate in district, region and state competitions, including all required UIL activities.
   * Maintain an awareness of and compliance with all governing components relating to general music studies such as: district teaching & learning initiatives, District Board Policies and Guidelines, Texas Education Agency requirements, University Interscholastic League Constitution and Contest rules and guidelines, College Board AP Music Theory guidelines, Modern Band, and other district sanctioned contests.
   * Increase student retention by providing leadership and responsibility in the development and building of a sequential music program such as: establishing vertical teams, overseeing the auditions process, developing and implementing recruitment strategies, monitoring course offerings, student eligibility and other requirements.
   * Prepare individuals and groups for college &/or career readiness by preparing portfolios, preparing students for auditions, concerts and competitions, incorporating project based learning and music technology.
   * Attend required content staff development and demonstrate evidence of continuous growth in the assigned program.
   * Prepare and submit all required paperwork and documentation in a timely manner.
   * Develop, plan, implement and monitor budget allocations for the program.
   * Participate in local, district and state professional organizations.
   * Establish and build a parent booster club and/or support organization.
   * Attend all meetings as required.
   * Work closely with educational, arts, and business communities to promote fine arts education.
   * Apply and enforce student discipline in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and Student Handbook.
   * Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned.
   * All federally funded incumbents of this position must comply with time and effort reporting requirements through personnel activity reports or periodic certification, as appropriate.
   * Regular and punctual attendance at the worksite is required for this position
   
   WORK ENVIRONMENT:
   
   The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Travel throughout the district is integral to this job. A remote working environment /alternate work arrangement is not an option for campus-based employees/campus-based positions because regular and punctual attendance at the worksite and performing all duties at the worksite are essential job duties for all campus-based personnel.
   
   The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required of this job:
   
   * Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university; valid Texas teacher certificate with required endorsements for subject and subject level assigned.
   
   * Must have experience or demonstrated desire to work in an urban school district.
   * Demonstrate understanding and ability to teach students with multiple learning styles and abilities.
   * Demonstrated an ability to work with diverse populations.
   * Demonstrated basic piano skills and the ability to improvise.
   * Demonstrated an ability to sight read.
   * Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the application of music methodologies.
   * Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of current media/music trends in music recording, producing, song writing, and performance practices.
   * Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of pedagogical content knowledge in the areas of music theory, music appreciation, music composition, piano/hand bells, and/or the use of media and music technology applications.
   * Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of diverse musical styles and age appropriate repertoire.
   * Demonstrated ability to engage students with 21st century teaching strategies such as Project Based Learning, and technology integrated curriculum with computer programs such as Sibelius, Auralia and Rhythm Bee and/or the use of other music applications.
   * Demonstrated proficient to advance skill in the use of Internet, E-Mail, Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher, and PowerPoint.
   * Demonstrated writing and editing skills.
   * Demonstrated willingness to improve competency and teaching effectiveness by participating in professional growth opportunities and professional learning communities.
   * Demonstrated flexibility to cope with the challenges of a rapidly changing world
   * Demonstrated willingness to remain current with the latest developments in the profession
   
   Physical Demands:
   
   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made if necessary:
   
   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and/or stand, use hands to handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls, talk, and hear. The employee frequently is required to carry or move materials weighing up to 25 pounds. Must be able to maintain emotional control under stress. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right high school music director for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with high school music directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit high school music directors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your high school music director job on Zippia to find and recruit high school music director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting high school music directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new high school music director

   Once you've decided on a perfect high school music director candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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