Composer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level composer earnings begin at:

$38.10 per hour

$79,240 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level composer earnings begin at:

$34.84 per hour

$72,460 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level composer earnings begin at:

$23.66 per hour

$49,200 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level composer earnings begin at:

$14.00 per hour

$29,120 per year

10th percentile

Starting level composer earnings begin at:

$9.18 per hour

$19,090 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 about the same as related careers in Wisconsin. On average, they make less than music teachers but more than piano tuners.

Career Median Salary
Music teacher salary $62K
Casting director salary $55K
Music artist salary $51K
Singer salary $51K
Musician salary $51K
Conductor salary $49K
Composer salary $49K
Music therapist salary $47K
Audio engineer salary $38K
Piano tuner salary $31K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)