Average Salary: $47,350

Expected Lifetime Earnings: $1,976,768

The average annual salary for a conductor is right around $50k (source). But if you're able to break your way into big-time conducting, the pay can be great.

Now you're not covered by a union and odds are you're a freelance worker, hopping from gig to gig. You'll get paid for the time you spend rehearsing and performing, and maybe for doing research while watching the dancers if you're conducting a ballet (source).

And the rest of the time you'll spend aboard a train. Wait, wrong kind of conductor. (Source)

That being said, if you can land a big-time job, the pay is terrific. Guest conductors can even make between $30k and $70k per appearance.

Most of the top orchestras—like those in New York, Boston, and Chicago—have their conductors on a 52-week contract, and pay them over a million dollars (source).

That's not bad—and it's not even accounting for the fact that conductors can have other lucrative side gigs, like making their own classical recordings and scoring films.

While it may seem like a lot of money, the demands to bring in a return are high. Like LeBron James or Tom Brady, the crowds come to see the star and in many cases, the conductor is just that.

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