Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
Compositor salary
Average compositor salary
$45,101
How much does a compositor make?
The average compositor salary in the United States is $45,101. Compositor salaries typically range between $23,000 and $85,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for compositors is $21.68 per hour.
Compositor salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Compositors earn the highest average salary in New Jersey.
Level up your salary
Let Zippi find your next Compositor job
Level up your salary
Let Zippi find your next Compositor job
Where can a Compositor earn more?
Compositor Salaries By Experience Level
Compositor salary estimates from across the web
Average compositor salary by state
Highest paying states for compositors
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $59,258 | $28.49 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $66,745 | $32.09 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $61,538 | $29.59 |
| 4 | Alaska | $59,581 | $28.64 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $61,229 | $29.44 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $58,002 | $27.89 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $53,609 | $25.77 |
| 8 | New York | $54,134 | $26.03 |
| 9 | Delaware | $52,057 | $25.03 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $50,069 | $24.07 |
| 11 | Washington | $51,342 | $24.68 |
| 12 | Kentucky | $46,685 | $22.44 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $46,939 | $22.57 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $45,957 | $22.09 |
| 15 | Vermont | $48,775 | $23.45 |
| 16 | Nevada | $45,950 | $22.09 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $45,963 | $22.10 |
| 18 | Maine | $48,136 | $23.14 |
| 19 | Maryland | $51,234 | $24.63 |
| 20 | California | $51,360 | $24.69 |
| 21 | Arizona | $45,958 | $22.10 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $46,425 | $22.32 |
| 23 | Oregon | $47,592 | $22.88 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $51,395 | $24.71 |
| 25 | Texas | $44,213 | $21.26 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $43,996 | $21.15 |
| 27 | Indiana | $41,756 | $20.07 |
| 28 | Ohio | $41,449 | $19.93 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $42,656 | $20.51 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $42,160 | $20.27 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $41,154 | $19.79 |
| 32 | Michigan | $41,245 | $19.83 |
| 33 | Colorado | $42,723 | $20.54 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $40,508 | $19.48 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $40,279 | $19.36 |
| 36 | Kansas | $40,637 | $19.54 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $40,565 | $19.50 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $40,702 | $19.57 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $39,775 | $19.12 |
| 40 | Idaho | $40,121 | $19.29 |
| 41 | Georgia | $40,655 | $19.55 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $41,824 | $20.11 |
| 43 | Illinois | $39,707 | $19.09 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $39,041 | $18.77 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $38,575 | $18.55 |
| 46 | Florida | $38,880 | $18.69 |
| 47 | Alabama | $37,266 | $17.92 |
| 48 | Missouri | $38,068 | $18.30 |
| 49 | Montana | $37,178 | $17.87 |
| 50 | Utah | $35,959 | $17.29 |
| 51 | Iowa | $34,541 | $16.61 |
Highest paying cities for compositors
The highest-paying cities for compositors are Pittsfield, MA, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsfield, MA | $58,964 | $28.35 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $54,303 | $26.11 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $53,368 | $25.66 |
| 4 | Vancouver, WA | $51,819 | $24.91 |
| 5 | Royal Oak, MI | $41,501 | $19.95 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $40,061 | $19.26 |
Compositor salary details
A compositor's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $85,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a compositor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $45,101 | $3,758 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
Highest paying compositor jobs
The highest paying types of compositors are offset press operator, mac operator, and lead press operator.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Making Technician | $32,429 | $2,702 | $15.59 | 24,872 |
| Pressman | $39,994 | $3,333 | $19.23 | 673 |
| Press Operator Printing | $40,520 | $3,377 | $19.48 | 34,403 |
| Digital Print Operator | $31,749 | $2,646 | $15.26 | 46,110 |
| Offset Press Operator | $43,637 | $3,636 | $20.98 | 30,089 |
| Printer Operator | $36,411 | $3,034 | $17.51 | 43,730 |
Top companies hiring compositors now:
Which companies pay compositors the most?
Compositor salaries at Dassault Systèmes and Activision Blizzard are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average compositor salary at companies like Sony Pictures Imageworks and Industrial Light & Magic are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dassault Systèmes | $94,467 | $45.42 |
| 2 | Activision Blizzard | $76,930 | $36.99 |
| 3 | Sony Pictures Imageworks | $63,487 | $30.52 |
| 4 | Industrial Light & Magic | $49,470 | $23.78 |
| 5 | PIXOMONDO | $48,449 | $23.29 |
| 6 | FuseFX | $48,143 | $23.15 |
| 7 | Psyop | $47,534 | $22.85 |
| 8 | CoSA VFX | $47,449 | $22.81 |
| 9 | BrainStorm | $46,821 | $22.51 |
| 10 | Brand New School | $46,342 | $22.28 |
| 11 | Crafty Apes VFX | $46,285 | $22.25 |
| 12 | Ingenuity Engine | $46,209 | $22.22 |
| 13 | Scanline VFX | $45,891 | $22.06 |
| 14 | Lucasfilm | $44,654 | $21.47 |
| 15 | Logan | $42,074 | $20.23 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Compositor salary trends
The average compositor salary has risen by $4,275 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average compositor earned $40,826 annually, but today, they earn $45,101 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for compositors over the last decade.
Compare compositor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average compositor salary over time
Compare compositor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Compositor salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $45,100 | $21.68 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $43,900 | $21.13 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $43,100 | $20.73 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $42,600 | $20.47 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | $42,300 | $20.34 | +0.8% |
Recently added compositor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Light & Magic | Compositor | Vancouver, WA | 12/15/2024 | $96,800 |
| Arrowhead Products Corporation | Composite Assoc. 2-Progression 1 | Los Alamitos, CA | 12/05/2024 | $50,902 |
| The Walt Disney Company | Senior Compositor | Vancouver, WA | 11/30/2024 | $122,400 |
| Iamag | Senior Compositor | San Francisco, CA | 11/29/2024 | $132 |
| Apple | Senior Compositor | Culver City, CA | 10/23/2024 | $166,600 |
| Jeppesen | Composites NDT Senior | Noel, MO | 10/17/2024 | $49,300 |
| Magnopus | Junior VFX Compositor | Los Angeles, CA | 10/17/2024 | $70,000 |
| Rockstar Games | Nuke Compositor | Carlsbad, CA | 10/17/2024 | $85,700 |
| Crazy Maple Studio | Compositor for Reelshort Mobisode Series | Culver City, CA | 10/10/2024 | $40,800 |
| Aerospace Composite Center | Composites NDT Senior | Hazelwood, MO | 10/05/2024 | $49,300 |
Compositor salary FAQs
Search for compositor jobs