The average wage for a composer in District of Columbia is around $27.62 per hour.
Avg Wage
Composers earn an average hourly wage of $27.62.
Salaries typically start from $13.33 per hour and go up to $71.15 per hour.
10% below national average Updated in 2018
Composer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level composer earnings begin at:
$71.15 per hour
$147,990 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level composer earnings begin at:
$45.08 per hour
$93,760 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level composer earnings begin at:
$27.62 per hour
$57,450 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level composer earnings begin at:
$20.01 per hour
$41,630 per year
10th percentile
Starting level composer earnings begin at:
$13.33 per hour
$27,730 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 District of Columbia. On average, they make less than talent directors but more than music artists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Talent director salary | $82K |
| Audio engineer salary | $70K |
| Composer salary | $57K |
| Conductor salary | $57K |
| Musician salary | $64K |
| Singer salary | $64K |
| Music artist salary | $64K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)