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The differences between music composers and musicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a music composer, becoming a musician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a musician has an average salary of $57,257, which is higher than the $54,646 average annual salary of a music composer.
The top three skills for a music composer include audio engineering, video games and music theory. The most important skills for a musician are live performances, keyboard, and music theory.
| Music Composer | Musician | |
| Yearly salary | $54,646 | $57,257 |
| Hourly rate | $26.27 | $27.53 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 3,788 | 103 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Music composers and musicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Music Composer | Musician | |
| Average salary | $54,646 | $57,257 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $106,000 | Between $25,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Sanford Health |
| Best paying industry | Media | Media |
There are a few differences between a music composer and a musician in terms of educational background:
| Music Composer | Musician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Music | Music |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between music composers' and musicians' demographics:
| Music Composer | Musician | |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% | Male, 80.4% Female, 19.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 5.3% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 5.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 30% | 9% |