Also called: Score Composer, Media Composer
Writes the original music that plays under movies, TV shows, and video games.
A composer watches a rough cut, marks where music should start and stop, then writes and records cues that make a scene scary or sad. Deadlines are tight: an hour of music in a few weeks.
Highly variable. BLS music directors and composers median is about $63k; established film and TV composers earn far more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Music composition degree common; many assist established composers first.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Music Composition, Film Scoring, Music Technology.
Growing about average. Streaming content keeps demand up; competition is fierce.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI music now scores many ads, indie films and web videos, squeezing newcomers; directors on bigger projects still hire composers.
Classes: AP Music Theory, Piano, Music (orchestra or band), Film/video production CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2041.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.