The average wage for a lyricist in California is around $8.61 per hour.
Avg Wage
Lyricists earn an average hourly wage of $8.61.
Salaries typically start from $5.00 per hour and go up to $25.34 per hour.
69% below national average Updated in 2017
Lyricist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level lyricist earnings begin at:
$25.34 per hour
$52,700 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level lyricist earnings begin at:
$13.50 per hour
$28,080 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level lyricist earnings begin at:
$8.61 per hour
$17,900 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level lyricist earnings begin at:
$5.00 per hour
$10,400 per year
10th percentile
Starting level lyricist earnings begin at:
$5.00 per hour
$10,400 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Lyricist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $17,900 |
| Texas | $17,000 |
How do lyricist salaries compare to similar careers?
Lyricists earn 53% less than similar careers in California. On average, they make less than DJs.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| DJ salary | $52K |
| Audio engineer salary | $39K |
| Singer salary | $39K |
| Musician salary | $35K |
| Composer salary | $27K |
| Lyricist salary | $18K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)