Composer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level composer earnings begin at:

$38.60 per hour

$80,300 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level composer earnings begin at:

$28.52 per hour

$59,320 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level composer earnings begin at:

$19.53 per hour

$40,630 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level composer earnings begin at:

$11.66 per hour

$24,260 per year

10th percentile

Starting level composer earnings begin at:

$8.55 per hour

$17,770 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 14% less than similar careers in Pennsylvania. On average, they make less than music teachers but more than piano tuners.

Career Median Salary
Music teacher salary $67K
Talent agent salary $55K
Music therapist salary $46K
Audio engineer salary $44K
DJ salary $41K
Conductor salary $41K
Composer salary $41K
Piano tuner salary $43K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)