Compositor demographics and statistics in the US
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Compositor demographics by:
Compositor gender statistics
37.3% of compositors are women and 62.7% of compositors are men.
- Male, 62.7%
- Female, 37.3%
Compositor gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 62.7% |
| Female | 37.3% |
Compositor gender pay gap
Women earn 83¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$45,813
Female income
$37,806
Compositor gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in compositor positions over time. Currently, 37.3% of compositors are female.
Compositor gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.60% | 32.40% |
| 2011 | 67.22% | 32.78% |
| 2012 | 69.31% | 30.69% |
| 2013 | 65.67% | 34.33% |
| 2014 | 66.93% | 33.07% |
| 2015 | 66.38% | 33.62% |
| 2016 | 66.08% | 33.92% |
| 2017 | 66.70% | 33.30% |
| 2018 | 63.78% | 36.22% |
| 2019 | 67.50% | 32.50% |
| 2020 | 64.69% | 35.31% |
| 2021 | 62.70% | 37.30% |
Compositor related jobs gender ratio
We compared compositors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, offset pressman and printing pressman have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Ad Setter | 20% | 80% |
| Folder | 27% | 73% |
| Typographer | 30% | 70% |
| Compositor | 63% | 37% |
| 1st Pressman | 97% | 3% |
| Printing Pressman | 97% | 3% |
| Offset Pressman | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Compositor demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among compositors is White, which makes up 60.6% of all compositors. Comparatively, 19.2% of compositors are Hispanic or Latino and 9.0% of compositors are Black or African American.
- White, 60.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 19.2%
- Black or African American, 9.0%
- Asian, 7.3%
- Unknown, 3.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Compositor race
| Compositor race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 60.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.2% |
| Black or African American | 9.0% |
| Asian | 7.3% |
| Unknown | 3.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Compositor race and ethnicity over time
See how compositor racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Compositor race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.31% | 10.77% | 5.30% | 17.79% |
| 2011 | 63.65% | 10.70% | 5.17% | 18.46% |
| 2012 | 60.49% | 10.75% | 6.81% | 19.98% |
| 2013 | 64.47% | 9.34% | 5.75% | 19.02% |
| 2014 | 63.86% | 9.33% | 6.63% | 18.41% |
| 2015 | 64.70% | 9.35% | 6.21% | 17.65% |
| 2016 | 63.60% | 8.53% | 6.37% | 19.47% |
| 2017 | 62.12% | 9.75% | 6.78% | 19.33% |
| 2018 | 64.37% | 8.57% | 5.66% | 19.13% |
| 2019 | 63.48% | 8.84% | 6.11% | 19.44% |
| 2020 | 64.88% | 9.15% | 5.19% | 17.37% |
| 2021 | 60.57% | 9.05% | 7.26% | 19.16% |
Compositor wage gap by race
According to our data, asian compositors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino compositors have the lowest average salary at $43,684.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $45,477 |
| White | $47,160 |
| Black or African American | $44,632 |
| Asian | $48,262 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $43,684 |
Average compositor age
See how the average age of compositors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Compositor age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 49 | 52 |
| White | 52 | 51 |
| Black or African American | 51 | 52 |
| Asian | 52 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 46 | 47 |
Compositor age breakdown
The average age of compositors is 40+ years years old, representing 75% of the compositor population.
Compositor age breakdown
| Compositor Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 75% |
| 30-40 years | 18% |
| 20-30 years | 8% |
Compositor educational attainment
The most common degree for compositors is bachelor's degree, with 76% of compositors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 7%.
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Associate, 11%
- Master's, 7%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Compositors by degree level
| Compositor degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 76% |
| Associate | 11% |
| Master's | 7% |
| Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Compositor jobs you might like
Compositor wage gap by degree level
According to the data, compositors with a High School Diploma degree earn more than those without, at $47,520 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, compositors earn a median annual income of $46,925 compared to $46,438 for compositors with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,520 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,925 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $46,438 |
Compositor employment statistics
Most compositors work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where compositors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where compositors work.
Compositor jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 24% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 29% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 7% |
Compositor jobs by company type
Employees with the compositor job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most compositors prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Compositor jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 6% |
| Public | 12% |
| Private | 82% |
Compositor jobs by industry
The most common industries for compositors are media, technology and professional.
Compositor industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 53% |
| Technology | 12% |
| Professional | 9% |
| Education | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Compositor turnover and employment statistics
Compositor unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for compositors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Compositor unemployment rate by year
| Year | Compositor unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.31% |
| 2011 | 11.87% |
| 2012 | 8.30% |
| 2013 | 7.97% |
| 2014 | 6.16% |
| 2015 | 4.53% |
| 2016 | 4.02% |
| 2017 | 3.15% |
| 2018 | 2.98% |
| 2019 | 2.78% |
| 2020 | 5.62% |
| 2021 | 6.37% |
Average compositor tenure
The average compositor stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 747 compositors resumes in Zippia's database.
Compositor tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 50% |
| 1-2 years | 24% |
| 3-4 years | 8% |
| 5-7 years | 8% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 6% |
Compositor LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of compositors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Spreader Operator | 2.37% | 60,297 |
| Control Operator | 2.83% | 64,435 |
| Lead Inspector | 3.84% | 17,734 |
| Laundry Worker | 5.06% | 25,513 |
| Compositor | 5.41% | - |
| Chemical Operator | 9.20% | 36,522 |
| Photolith Operator | 20.58% | 26,014 |
Similar compositor jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Spreader Operator | 2.37% | 60,297 |
| Control Operator | 2.83% | 64,435 |
| Lead Inspector | 3.84% | 17,734 |
| Laundry Worker | 5.06% | 25,513 |
| Chemical Operator | 9.20% | 36,522 |
| Photolith Operator | 20.58% | 26,014 |
Foreign languages spoken by compositors
The most common foreign language among compositors is Spanish at 66.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 11.1% and French is the third-most popular at 11.1%.
- Spanish, 66.7%
- German, 11.1%
- French, 11.1%
- Dutch, 11.1%
Compositor languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 66.7% |
| German | 11.1% |
| French | 11.1% |
| Dutch | 11.1% |
