Composer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level composer earnings begin at:

$58.23 per hour

$121,120 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level composer earnings begin at:

$48.50 per hour

$100,880 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level composer earnings begin at:

$30.88 per hour

$64,240 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level composer earnings begin at:

$15.07 per hour

$31,340 per year

10th percentile

Starting level composer earnings begin at:

$10.27 per hour

$21,360 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 New Jersey. On average, they make less than music teachers but more than musicians.

Career Median Salary
Music teacher salary $75K
Talent agent salary $74K
Audio engineer salary $56K
Conductor salary $64K
Composer salary $64K
Music artist salary $56K
Singer salary $56K
Musician salary $56K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)