The average salary for a composer in District of Columbia is around $84,040 per year.
Avg Salary
Composers earn an average yearly salary of $84,040.
Wages typically start from $39,310 and go up to $159,250.
7% above national average Updated in 2025
Composer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level composer earnings begin at:
$76.56 per hour
$159,250 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level composer earnings begin at:
$63.11 per hour
$131,260 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level composer earnings begin at:
$40.41 per hour
$84,040 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level composer earnings begin at:
$37.37 per hour
$77,740 per year
10th percentile
Starting level composer earnings begin at:
$18.90 per hour
$39,310 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 District of Columbia. On average, they make less than audio engineers but more than music therapists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Audio engineer salary | $107K |
| Music teacher salary | $97K |
| Composer salary | $84K |
| Conductor salary | $84K |
| Music therapist salary | $96K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)