The average wage for a composer in the United States is around $24.84 per hour.
Avg Wage
Composers earn an average hourly wage of $24.84.
Salaries typically start from $11.11 per hour and go up to $55.57 per hour.
5% below national average Updated in 2019
Composer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level composer earnings begin at:
$55.57 per hour
$115,575 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level composer earnings begin at:
$37.95 per hour
$78,931 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level composer earnings begin at:
$24.84 per hour
$51,670 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level composer earnings begin at:
$16.26 per hour
$33,824 per year
10th percentile
Starting level composer earnings begin at:
$11.11 per hour
$23,100 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Composer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $72,630 |
| Georgia | $64,700 |
| New Jersey | $64,240 |
| Washington | $60,380 |
| Texas | $58,340 |
| District of Columbia | $57,450 |
| Wisconsin | $57,240 |
| Rhode Island | $56,980 |
| New Hampshire | $55,690 |
| Kansas | $55,290 |
| Vermont | $55,160 |
| Virginia | $55,090 |
| Massachusetts | $55,000 |
| Florida | $53,260 |
| South Carolina | $53,150 |
| New York | $53,020 |
| Iowa | $51,940 |
| Mississippi | $51,790 |
| California | $51,610 |
| Connecticut | $50,280 |
| Missouri | $49,280 |
| Arkansas | $49,110 |
| Maryland | $48,830 |
| Kentucky | $47,673 |
| Indiana | $46,900 |
| Louisiana | $46,420 |
| Hawaii | $45,760 |
| Alabama | $45,480 |
| Michigan | $45,100 |
| Arizona | $44,750 |
| Nebraska | $44,240 |
| Oregon | $44,040 |
| Utah | $43,440 |
| Tennessee | $43,260 |
| Ohio | $42,290 |
| Colorado | $41,780 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,630 |
| Illinois | $39,466 |
| North Carolina | $39,180 |
| New Mexico | $36,310 |
| Oklahoma | $34,080 |
| Idaho | $33,730 |
| Montana | $19,180 |
How do composer salaries compare to similar careers?
Composers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than music artists but more than piano tuners.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Music artist salary | $63K |
| Musician salary | $57K |
| Music teacher salary | $59K |
| Conductor salary | $52K |
| Audio engineer salary | $53K |
| Composer salary | $52K |
| Music therapist salary | $48K |
| Piano tuner salary | $37K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)