Composer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level composer earnings begin at:

$68.96 per hour

$143,440 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level composer earnings begin at:

$23.76 per hour

$49,420 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level composer earnings begin at:

$21.01 per hour

$43,700 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level composer earnings begin at:

$14.08 per hour

$29,290 per year

10th percentile

Starting level composer earnings begin at:

$9.56 per hour

$19,890 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Composer salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Massachusetts $77,230
Georgia $77,000
Hawaii $76,940
Idaho $74,690
Washington $62,480
District of Columbia $62,290
Texas $62,070
Florida $60,750
Arizona $60,290
California $59,110
South Carolina $58,100
Ohio $57,500
Virginia $57,150
Rhode Island $56,980
Mississippi $56,460
New Hampshire $55,690
Vermont $55,160
Maryland $53,460
Connecticut $53,320
Colorado $51,710
Minnesota $50,040
Missouri $49,280
Wisconsin $49,200
Arkansas $49,110
North Carolina $49,090
Iowa $48,830
New York $48,790
Michigan $48,440
Kentucky $47,673
Louisiana $46,420
Utah $46,230
Nebraska $44,240
Indiana $43,880
Pennsylvania $43,700
Tennessee $43,260
Kansas $43,200
Illinois $38,430
Oregon $38,370
Oklahoma $37,660
South Dakota $30,690
Alabama $29,010
Montana $24,060
New Mexico $21,840
New Jersey $100,330

How do composer salaries compare to similar careers?

Composers earn 10% less than similar careers in Pennsylvania. On average, they make less than singers but more than audio engineers.

Career Median Salary
Singer salary $60K
Music artist salary $60K
Musician salary $60K
Casting director salary $62K
Conductor salary $44K
Composer salary $44K
Music therapist salary $49K
Talent agent salary $48K
Audio engineer salary $39K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)