Writes original music for video games, often built in layers that change as the player explores, fights or reaches new areas. BLS does not publish separate figures for music directors and composers; it counts them within music director and composer (SOC 27-2041), whose median pay is $73,710 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 27-2041
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Video Game Composer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $73,710a year, or $35.44/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $40KTop 10% $166K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +1.2%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+1.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +1.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4,20051,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202551.1K
- Projected 203551.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 51.1K Projected 2035 51.7K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school5.1%
- Some college6.2%
- Associate's7.9%
- Bachelor's24%
- Master's28.2%
- Doctorate20.6%
Highest education held by music directors and composers Segment Value Less than high school 5.1% Some college 6.2% Associate's 7.9% Bachelor's 24% Master's 28.2% Doctorate 20.6%
Also advertised as: Game Composer, Interactive Music Composer, Composer (Video Games), Game Music Composer.
Pay
How much do Music Directors and Composers make?
Every video game composer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$73,710
Middle half earn $53,110 to $104,090
- 10th
- $39,880
- 25th
- $53,110
- 75th
- $104,090
- 90th
- $165,760
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $39,880 |
| 25th | $53,110 |
| Median | $73,710 |
| 75th | $104,090 |
| 90th | $165,760 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $73,710
- Median hourly wage
- $35.44/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $90,470
- People employed
- 12,540
Versus all US occupations
At $73,710, Music Directors and Composers earn 45% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $22,730 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 8% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $165,760 or more while the bottom 10% earn $39,880, a gap of 4.2×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 47% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Jersey pays the most at $122,750, and still leads at $112,817 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Music Directors and Composers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Jersey | $122,750 | $112,817 | 210 |
| 2California | $93,090 | $84,077 | 2,510 |
| 3Colorado | $88,460 | $85,840 | 160 |
| 4District of Columbia | $84,040 | $76,469 | 140 |
| 5New York | $82,930 | $76,843 | 2,370 |
| 6Utah | $82,570 | $83,519 | 150 |
| 7Tennessee | $79,640 | $86,688 | 400 |
| 8Wisconsin | $78,690 | $83,628 | 200 |
| 9Massachusetts | $78,620 | $74,340 | 340 |
| 10Indiana | $77,270 | $82,793 | 200 |
Job outlook
Is Video Game Composer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +1.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Music Directors and Composers | +1.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Music Directors and Composers to change 1.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 4,200 openings are projected each year, 8.2% of the 51,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Video Game Composer
Most composers study composition, film scoring or music production, and Berklee and DigiPen both offer programs aimed at game music. Strong production skills in a digital audio workstation, orchestration knowledge and a basic understanding of game engines and audio middleware are expected.
Composers break in by scoring student and indie games, game jams and mods, then building a reel. Some start as in-house audio staff at a studio and others freelance from the start. The Game Audio Network Guild runs student competitions, awards and networking for composers and sound designers, and conferences such as GDC are where many first contracts are found.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as music directors and composers.
- Master's Degree28.2%
- Bachelor's Degree24%
- Doctoral Degree20.6%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree7.9%
- Some College Courses6.2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 28.2% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 24% |
| Doctoral Degree | 20.6% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 7.9% |
| Some College Courses | 6.2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Video Game Composer do?
Video game composers write the themes, battle music, ambient loops and menu music that players hear for hours. Unlike a film score, game music has to respond to what the player does, so composers write in stems and layers that can be mixed, looped or swapped in real time.
They work with audio directors, game designers and audio programmers to plan how music changes between exploration and combat, and they often deliver files for middleware such as Wwise or FMOD. Composers may record live orchestras or soloists, produce electronic scores themselves, or both, and some also create sound effects on smaller teams.
Day-to-day tasks
- Write main themes, area music and combat cues for a game
- Compose music in layers and stems that adapt to gameplay
- Produce and mix tracks in a digital audio workstation
- Implement or prepare music for middleware such as Wwise or FMOD
- Meet with audio directors and designers to plan the music system
- Arrange recording sessions with live musicians
- Revise cues based on playtesting and developer feedback
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Most game composers work in home or private studios, collaborating remotely with developers anywhere in the world. In-house composers work at studio offices. Schedules follow game milestones, with heavy crunch near content lock, and freelancers manage several projects and client searches at once.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.6
- Reading Comprehension3.5
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Writing3.4
- Active Learning3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.5 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 |
| Writing | 3.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Coordination3.4
- Persuasion3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Management of Personnel Resources3.1
- Negotiation3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 |
| Coordination | 3.4 |
| Persuasion | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Desktop publishing software
- Music or sound editing software
- Video creation and editing software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Video Game Composer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code AIE) built on O*NET's Music Director and Composer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Video Game Composer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 7 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Artistic7.0
- Enterprising5.1
- Investigative3.5
- Social3.0
- Conventional2.6
- Realistic2.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Video Game Composer
O*NET related occupations
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$78,620median a year
Most earn $48K to $163K
+2.2%Master's - Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
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More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with music directors and composers highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Video Game Composer$73,710
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Video Game Composer | $73,710 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Video Game Composer appears on
Questions
Video Game Composer: frequently asked questions
How much do Music Directors and Composers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for music directors and composers. It counts them within music director and composer, whose median pay is $73,710 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $53,110 and $104,090, and the top 10% earn $165,760 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Video Game Composer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Music Directors and Composers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 28.2% hold master's degree.
Is Video Game Composer a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.2% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 4,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Video Game Composer do?
Video game composers write the themes, battle music, ambient loops and menu music that players hear for hours. A typical task: write main themes, area music and combat cues for a game. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Music Directors and Composers the most?
The highest state medians for Music Directors and Composers are New Jersey ($122,750), California ($93,090), Colorado ($88,460) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Video Game Composer?
O*NET scores Music Directors and Composers highest on the Artistic, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFP, ENTP, INFP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.