The job market for composers in the United States

There are currently an estimated 47,300 composers in the United States. The composer job market is expected to shrink by 0.3% between 2024 and 2034.

How employable are composers?

CareerExplorer rates composers with a D employability rating, meaning this career should provide weak employment opportunities for the foreseeable future. Over the next 10 years, it is expected the US will lose -100 composers.

Are composers in demand?

‘It is nearly a million-to-one odds that an aspiring composer will earn a living in his or her chosen field,’ says Los-Angeles based composer Jacob Yoffee. Following this rather discouraging assessment, Yoffee concedes that prospects are currently ‘a bit higher’ because of the emergence of filmmakers making movies independently of studios. These ‘indie’ films may marginally increase demand in this occupation, but their extremely low budgets are not likely to achieve recognition or notoriety for the composers who create their scores. If indeed the odds are stacked against them, aspiring composers must commit to extensive education in the field. This includes the mechanics of music: how to write music and how to work with the advancing technologies of recording, editing, and sampling software. Performing skills also add to a composer’s employability. In the words of Jacob Yoffee, ‘The ability to play the piano and guitar is the greatest asset to any film composer.’ Working on student films is another essential to build a portfolio, provide real world experience, and make important connections. In addition to these skills and experiences, there are also specific personality traits that serve composers well. Adaptability is imperative because as movie scenes are cut and rearranged, a composer will have to change and rework his or her composition. Composers who view their work as products and unchangeable masterpieces will be constantly disappointed. Those who see it as a service to a larger project – the film – and can manage deadlines, rewrites, and stress are far more likely to be satisfied and successful. In short, consummate composers do not love just music; they love both music and film; they are, in essence, both composers and filmmakers.

What’s the supply of composers?

The composer industry is concentrated in California, New York, Pennsylvania

Composer job market by state