Composer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level composer earnings begin at:

$48.25 per hour

$100,360 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level composer earnings begin at:

$35.14 per hour

$73,080 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level composer earnings begin at:

$29.68 per hour

$61,740 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level composer earnings begin at:

$24.79 per hour

$51,570 per year

10th percentile

Starting level composer earnings begin at:

$13.70 per hour

$28,500 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Composer salary by state

State Name Average Salary
California $93,090
Colorado $88,460
District of Columbia $84,040
New York $82,930
Utah $82,570
Tennessee $79,640
Wisconsin $78,690
Massachusetts $78,620
Indiana $77,270
Connecticut $77,070
Washington $75,060
Idaho $74,690
Hawaii $74,570
Georgia $67,100
Texas $65,570
Maryland $64,300
North Carolina $63,380
Mississippi $62,240
Iowa $61,740
Missouri $61,670
Ohio $61,380
Pennsylvania $61,160
Oregon $60,800
Arizona $60,290
Michigan $59,400
Virginia $59,050
South Carolina $58,100
Florida $57,830
Rhode Island $56,980
New Hampshire $55,690
Vermont $55,160
Oklahoma $54,250
Montana $51,530
Minnesota $50,040
Illinois $49,270
Arkansas $49,110
Kentucky $47,673
Louisiana $46,420
Nebraska $44,240
Kansas $43,200
Alabama $42,250
South Dakota $30,690
New Mexico $21,840
New Jersey $122,750

How do composer salaries compare to similar careers?

Composers earn 15% less than similar careers in Iowa. On average, they make less than musicians but more than piano tuners.

Career Median Salary
Musician salary $74K
Singer salary $74K
Music teacher salary $78K
Conductor salary $62K
Composer salary $62K
Casting director salary $59K
Audio engineer salary $57K
Piano tuner salary $39K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)