Career comparison
Music Director vs. Musical Instrument Repairer
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Music directors earn more at the median ($73,710 vs. $46,420), while musical instrument repairers usually get to work faster (1–3 years of training of training). Music directors lead orchestras, bands and choirs, or compose original music. Musical instrument repairers repair, tune and build musical instruments.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Music Director | Musical Instrument Repairer | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $73,710 ($35.44/hr) | $46,420 ($22.32/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $39,880 – $165,760 | $31,220 – $71,600 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +1.2% (slower than average) | +1.9% (slower than average) |
| Openings per year | 4,200 | 600 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training time | Years of music training | 1–3 years of training |
| Key credential | Music degree | RPT |
| Work setting | Music directors work in concert halls, churches, schools, theaters and studios.. | Repairers work in shops, music stores, schools and homes.. |
What each job does
Music Director
- Select music
- Run rehearsals
- Conduct performances
- Audition musicians
- Compose and arrange
Musical Instrument Repairer
- Tune pianos
- Repair brass and woodwinds
- Set up guitars
- Replace pads and strings
- Fix cracks
How they’re similar
Both careers involve creative work, working independently, and indoor work. Both are part of the arts, media & design field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose music director if…
- I love music
- I can lead musicians
- I hear details
Choose musical instrument repairer if…
- I love music
- I have a good ear
- I like fine detail work
Still torn? Take the Music Director fit quiz and the Musical Instrument Repairer fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, music director or musical instrument repairer?
Music Directors earn more at the median: $73,710 versus $46,420 for musical instrument repairers, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Musical Instrument Repairers typically train faster (1–3 years of training) than music directors (Years of music training).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects musical instrument repairers to grow +1.9% from 2025–35, compared with +1.2% for music directors.