u/ivbenherethewholtime

If you haven't returned your ballot yet or still need to vote and aren't registered, voting is now open across the county. Voting before Tuesday is highly encouraged, as it's usually a multi-hour line on Election day, but no wait the 3 days before. Hours today thru Monday are 10am - 6pm, and on Tuesday 7am - 8pm. As long as you're in line before polls close you will be able to vote. List of poll locations: https://ocvote.gov/elections/vote-center-locations

Orchestra	Salary		Weekly
Los Angeles Philharmonic	$208,832	52	$4,016
Boston Symphony	$203,580	52	$3,915
San Francisco Symphony	$203,456	52	$3,913
Chicago Symphony	$198,120	52	$3,810
New York Philharmonic	$190,698	52	$3,667
Philadelphia Orchestra	$176,280	52	$3,390
National Symphony	$171,860	52	$3,305
Cleveland Orchestra	$165,516	52	$3,183
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra	$153,147	52	$2,945
Cincinnati Symphony	$129,412	53*	$2,442
Minnesota Orchestra	$123,604	52	$2,377
Pittsburgh Symphony	$118,435	52	$2,278
San Francisco Opera Orchestra	$118,327	28	$4,226
Dallas Symphony	$116,698	52	$2,244
Houston Symphony	$113,360	52	$2,180
Detroit Symphony	$112,205	39	$2,877
Saint Louis Symphony	$109,376	52	$2,103
San Diego Symphony	$109,070	42	$2,597
Atalanta Symphony	$105,025	42	$2,501
Baltimore Symphony	$92,811	52	$1,785
Utah Symphony	$92,034	52	$1,770
New York City Ballet Orchestra	$82,282	24	$3,428
Washington National Opera	$80,672	n/a**	n/a
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra	$77,227	25	$3,089
Milwaukee Symphony	$76,539	41	$1,867
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra	$73,237	40	$1,831
Nashville Symphony	$72,000	44	$1,636
North Carolina Symphony	$71,948	40	$1,799
Kansas City Symphony	$71,593	42	$1,705
Colorado Symphony	$70,083	45	$1,557
Indianapolis Symphony	$69,000	42	$1,643
Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra	$67,248	21	$3,202
Puerto Rico Symphony	$65,000	44	$1,477
Fort Worth Symphony	$63,973	46	$1,391
Oregon Symphony	$63,446	40	$1,586
Buffalo Philharmonic	$63,383	40	$1,585
Pacific Symphony	$55,382	34	$1,629
Jacksonville Symphony	$55,176	40	$1,379
Columbus Symphony	$53,167	32	$1,661
Florida Orchestra	$52,009	37	$1,406
Rochester Philharmonic	$51,596	38	$1,358
Charlotte Symphony	$51,511	39	$1,321
Louisville Orchestra	$49,330	34	$1,451
New Jersey Symphony	$48,537	29	$1,674
Phoenix Symphony	$47,661	35	$1,362
Grand Rapids Symphony	$47,584	40	$1,190
Alabama Symphony	$42,300	36	$1,175
Virginia Symphony	$35,768	36	$994
Toledo Symphony	$34,341	37	$928
Syracuse Orchestra	$26,352	35	$753
Hawai'i Symphony	$24,226	21	$1,154
Grant Park Symphony	$18,772	10	$1,877

I previously posted US orchestral salaries and received feedback that people would like to see a comparison in lengths of season, so I have gone back and updated the orchestra wage chart with information on the length of season and pay per week. I didn't previously include this information as it can be deceptive to compare orchestras by weekly salary since vacation, furlough, relief, and paid dark weeks vary greatly from group to group. In general no orchestra with a 52 week season plays 52 weeks, and this information merely reflects how many paychecks you receive. Yearly salary is the minimum compensation a new non-titled section member will receive and includes Electronic Media Guarantees.

This list reflects the 52 member orchestras of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM). If an orchestra isn't listed, it's because it's not a member of this group and I don't have access to their salary information.

*Cincinnati's 2025/26 season is 53 weeks due to calendar scheduling
**Washington Opera's season is not defined by weeks but by minimum number of hours worked.

Was talking about Knotts with some friends recently who had been for the first time (I haven't been since 2004, but will return once Montezooma reopens) and I was telling them about rides I remember going on that aren't there anymore such as Soap Box Derby and Wind Jammer. They mentioned going on a smaller railroad than the main one and the one thing I remember about this is it had a working drawbridge at some point on the route. Can anyone confirm this to be true or am I making up a memory?