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Pianist vs composer

The differences between pianists and composers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a pianist, becoming a composer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a pianist has an average salary of $53,479, which is higher than the $53,019 average annual salary of a composer.

The top three skills for a pianist include piano performance, chamber music and classical music. The most important skills for a composer are video games, adobe photoshop, and adobe premiere.

Pianist vs composer overview

PianistComposer
Yearly salary$53,479$53,019
Hourly rate$25.71$25.49
Growth rate4%5%
Number of jobs9929
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4544
Years of experience42

Pianist vs composer salary

Pianists and composers have different pay scales, as shown below.

PianistComposer
Average salary$53,479$53,019
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $113,000Between $25,000 And $108,000
Highest paying CityBuena Park, CA-
Highest paying stateNew Jersey-
Best paying companySUNY Geneseo-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between pianist and composer education

There are a few differences between a pianist and a composer in terms of educational background:

PianistComposer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorMusicMusic
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Pianist vs composer demographics

Here are the differences between pianists' and composers' demographics:

PianistComposer
Average age4544
Gender ratioMale, 50.5% Female, 49.5%Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 5.5% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%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%
LGBT Percentage9%30%

Differences between pianist and composer duties and responsibilities

Pianist example responsibilities.

  • Skil at creation and maintenance of Milli's Bandcamp and Facebook websites.
  • Organize rehearsals, book shows, and collaborate in songwriting efforts with band members
  • Collaborate with teachers and directors to assist in learning and memorization.
  • Collaborate with teachers and directors to assist in learning and memorization.

Composer example responsibilities.

  • Supervise, manage and book DJ's.
  • Produce: NYC, Houston, TX, tour TX.
  • Work with multiple DAW software.
  • Record and master young talent demo CDs.
  • Build and maintain a high-performance PC studio workstation.
  • Experience in ADR recording, mixing and editing.
  • Show more

Pianist vs composer skills

Common pianist skills
  • Piano Performance, 36%
  • Chamber Music, 11%
  • Classical Music, 9%
  • Chorus, 7%
  • Music Theory, 6%
  • Piano Music, 4%
Common composer skills
  • Video Games, 12%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 11%
  • Adobe Premiere, 10%
  • Sound Design, 9%
  • Avid Media Composer, 6%
  • Pro Tools, 5%

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