Composer Salary (2026)
The median composer in the games industry earns $116,366 per year with 6–10 years of experience (global, base salary in USD), with most offers falling between $93k and $145k.
Figures for this role come from public industry surveys and our salary model. Rows marked model estimate have no direct survey data yet — submit your salary to improve them. See the methodology for how numbers are computed.
Salary by experience (global)
| Experience | Low | Median | High | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 years | $19,145 | $23,932 | $29,916 | Industry report8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 |
| 3–5 years | $43,927 | $54,909 | $68,637 | Industry report8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 |
| 6–10 years | $93,092 | $116,366 | $145,457 | Industry reportn=32GDC 2025 Salary Report |
| 11–15 years | $54,743 | $121,602 | $148,354 | Industry report8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 |
| 16+ years | $120,000 | $150,000 | $180,000 | Model estimate |
Salary by region
Median base salary (USD) for the best-covered experience band per region — bands differ where survey coverage differs, so compare with the experience column in mind. The US buying power column shows what the salary is worth locally: the same nominal pay stretches much further in cheaper regions (World Bank 2023 price levels, see methodology).
| Region | Median | ≈ US buying power | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | $118,800 | $119k | Industry reportn=32 |
| Rest of World | $77,666 | — | Industry report |
| United Kingdom · Western Europe · Nordic Countries · Eastern Europeshared data bucket | $48,913 | $60kUnited $68kWestern $58kNordic $103kEastern | Industry report |
| Asia Pacific | $40,255 | $58k | Industry report |
Open composer jobs
Know what you're worth — then go get it. Live listings on games-industry job boards:
- Contract Composer at Mob Entertainmentvia GameJobs.co →
- Music Composer at Gameloftvia GameJobs.co →
- Directeur Audio / Audio Director at Sidevia GameJobs.co →
- Audio Lead, Games Studio at Netflixvia GameJobs.co →
External job boards — listings open in a new tab. Some links may become partner links that help fund the site.
How this compares outside games
Official government wage statistics for the closest matching occupation across all industries — useful as a negotiation reference point. These figures are not games-specific and are never mixed into the salary data above.
| Occupation (official) | Coverage | Low | Median | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music Directors and Composers | United States (national, all industries) | $39,880 | $73,710 | $165,760 | US Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Compare composer pay against every other role, year by year, in the 3D explorer.
Sources used on this page
- 8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 — Games-industry recruitment agency salary report. Cited with permission.
- GDC State of the Game Industry 2025 — Annual survey by Game Developers Conference / Informa.
- Skillsearch Games & Immersive Salary and Satisfaction Report 2026 — Annual survey by games recruitment agency Skillsearch. Cited with permission.