The average wage for a composer in Illinois is around $18.97 per hour.
Avg Wage
Composers earn an average hourly wage of $18.97.
Salaries typically start from $9.13 per hour and go up to $39.44 per hour.
33% below national average Updated in 2018
Composer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level composer earnings begin at:
$39.44 per hour
$82,032 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level composer earnings begin at:
$27.89 per hour
$58,005 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level composer earnings begin at:
$18.97 per hour
$39,466 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level composer earnings begin at:
$12.91 per hour
$26,852 per year
10th percentile
Starting level composer earnings begin at:
$9.13 per hour
$18,987 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 17% less than similar careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than talent agents but more than DJs.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Talent agent salary | $67K |
| Music teacher salary | $63K |
| Audio engineer salary | $55K |
| Piano tuner salary | $50K |
| Conductor salary | $42K |
| Composer salary | $39K |
| Music therapist salary | $44K |
| DJ salary | $29K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)