How to hire a compositor

How to hire a compositor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step compositor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a compositor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new compositor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a compositor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the compositor you need to hire. Certain compositor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a compositor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a compositor that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of compositors.

   Type of Compositor	Description	Hourly rate
   Compositor		$11-40
   Screen Making Technician	A screen making technician performs installations and repairs to maintain the smooth flow of operations at manufacturing facilities. Their responsibilities typically include conducting measurements and assessments, setting guidelines, troubleshooting problems, gathering and analyzing data, and maintaining records of all procedures and adjustments... Show more	$12-19
   Pressman	A pressman is responsible for maintaining the printing press operations, maintaining the efficiency of the equipment and machinery to produce high-quality outputs. Pressmen ensure the readability and completeness of the content before distribution... Show more	$14-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • VFX
   • Visual Effects
   • Animation
   • CG
   • Maya
   • Mocha
   • Art Directors
   • Projection
   • Color Correction
   • Proprietary Software
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Indesign
   • Feature Film
   • Roto

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work closely with lighting and fx leads to help achieve an efficient workflow.
   • Work include matte extractions, tracking, color correction, paint fixesand integrating cg elements.
   • Direct a small VFX team, create consistent, realistic 3D environments/effects; integrate live-action (film) into the CGI.
   • Apply FX stage makeup efficiently and quickly for several characters using stage blood, liquid latex, and other FX materials.
   • Install signs, and apply graphics to cars, vans, trucks, semi-trucks, boats, and windows.
   • Hand cut stencils and hand letter signs.

   More compositor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your compositor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A compositor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, compositors' average salary in iowa is 48% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level compositors earn 73% less than senior-level compositors.
   • Certifications. A compositor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a compositor's salary.

   Average compositor salary

   $45,101yearly

   $21.68 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level compositor salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average compositor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$58,964	$28
   2	New York	$54,303	$26
   3	California	$53,368	$26
   4	Washington	$51,819	$25
   5	Michigan	$41,501	$20
   6	Illinois	$40,061	$19

   Average compositor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   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	1
   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

4. Writing a compositor job description

   A job description for a compositor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a compositor job description:

   Compositor job description example

   Our global Visual Effects team combines talent with technology, artistry with rigor, the familiar with the fantastic. Our work can be inspiring or invisible, but always unforgettable. From the language of color to the hand drawn and photo-real, we bring ideas to life through the use of movement, storytelling and timing.
   
   The Compositor is an exciting role that demands strong technical abilities and creativity. They will work directly under a Lead Compositor to create high-end visual effects using both 2D and 3D techniques. A Lead Compositor will assign and critique their work, and above all provide a mentorship to the Compositor on a job-by-job basis. A Compositor needs to be highly efficient and organized in their technical and software abilities, while also being highly artistic and an excellent creative problem solver.
   
   They should be comfortable working with clients, have a keen eye for detail, excellent communication skills and technical knowledge and also have relevant experience in a commercial, film or TV environment.
   Responsibilities:
   
   The Compositor is a highly valued member of the compositing team, and is the main support of a Lead Compositor. They are often given the complex and demanding shots to complete, and are expected to occasionally manage individual and multiple shots as if it was a whole commercial. Therefore they must have a complete understanding of the VFX pipeline and the communication skills to manage shots with other artists, while also occasionally presenting their work to clients. They are expected to help mentor the junior members of the 2D team, and inspire them through the quality of their own work. Some of their responsibilities will include:
   
   Compositing live action plates, CG renders and a combination of both.
   
   Working collaboratively with other members of the Compositing team and other VFX departments and locations.
   
   Extracting mattes from blue/green screen photography using Keylight, Primatte or IBK
   
   Complex 2D and 3D camera tracking
   
   Complex photoreal CG integration into live action plates
   
   Complex set extensions
   
   Complex matte painting projections utilizing 3D cameras and geometry
   
   Complex beauty work
   
   Complex car augmentation
   
   Complex photoreal full CG compositing
   
   Paint and rotoscoping

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find compositors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any compositors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level compositors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your compositor job on Zippia to find and recruit compositor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit compositors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new compositor

   Once you've found the compositor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new compositor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a compositor?