Most music directors and composers are paid by commission for specific pieces. Commissions may vary depending on the number of musicians and the length of the piece. A piece for a solo instrument may pay up to $4,000. A full-length opera may pay as much as $150,000. Sometimes composers receive royalty payments each time a piece is performed.
Film scores sometimes pay as high as ten percent of the total film budget. This can add up to over $200,000 on a film from a major studio. Composers for television shows may be paid as much as $8,000 per episode. Composers in advertising usually earn a flat fee of 10 to 20 percent of a commercial's budget.
Music directors and composers (SOC 27-2041)
Location |
Pay Period | |
||
25% |
Median |
75% |
||
Illinois | Hourly | $20.26 | $23.88 | $33.76 |
Yearly | $42,139 | $49,679 | $70,220 | |
Champaign Area | Hourly | $12.46 | $18.94 | $28.55 |
Yearly | $25,919 | $39,403 | $59,374 | |
Cook County | Hourly | $20.26 | $23.89 | $33.76 |
Yearly | $42,143 | $49,701 | $70,220 | |
Peoria-Bloomington Area | Hourly | $18.44 | $18.44 | $31.31 |
Yearly | $38,356 | $38,367 | $65,121 | |
St. Louis-Belleville Area | Hourly | $12.60 | $25.02 | $32.14 |
Yearly | $26,195 | $52,038 | $66,846 | |
United States | Hourly | $21.66 | $30.26 | $47.21 |
Yearly | $45,050 | $62,940 | $98,200 |