Composer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level composer earnings begin at:

$76.33 per hour

$158,760 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level composer earnings begin at:

$56.09 per hour

$116,670 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level composer earnings begin at:

$42.53 per hour

$88,460 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level composer earnings begin at:

$28.79 per hour

$59,890 per year

10th percentile

Starting level composer earnings begin at:

$23.64 per hour

$49,170 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
Hawaii $74,570
Minnesota $72,630
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
Michigan $59,400
Virginia $59,050
Florida $57,830
Rhode Island $56,980
New Hampshire $55,690
Kansas $55,290
Vermont $55,160
Oklahoma $54,250
South Carolina $53,150
Montana $51,530
Illinois $49,270
Arkansas $49,110
Kentucky $47,673
Louisiana $46,420
Arizona $44,750
Nebraska $44,240
Alabama $42,250
New Mexico $36,310
Idaho $33,730
New Jersey $122,750

How do composer salaries compare to similar careers?

Composers earn about the same as related careers in Colorado. On average, they make less than music artists but more than music therapists.

Career Median Salary
Music artist salary $96K
Musician salary $96K
Singer salary $96K
Conductor salary $88K
Composer salary $88K
Talent director salary $78K
Music teacher salary $70K
Music therapist salary $67K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)