Composer

A composer creates original musical works across diverse genres and formats, from orchestral and chamber music to film scores, theatre productions, and digital media soundtracks. They develop musical ideas, arrange instruments and voices, and notate or produce compositions for performance, broadcast, or commercial release. Composers work independently or on commission, often collaborating with performers, producers, and creative directors to realise their artistic vision within technical and budgetary constraints.

Develop melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic ideas using music theory principles and stylistic conventions appropriate to the intended genre or context. Notate compositions using music notation software such as Sibelius, Finale, or MuseScore, ensuring accuracy of pitch, duration, dynamics, and articulation marks. Arrange musical material for specified instruments, ensembles, or orchestras, considering timbral colour, range limitations, and acoustic properties. Compose music for film, television, video games, or theatre productions in response to visual content and director briefs, synchronising timing and emotional intent. Record and produce demo versions of compositions using digital audio workstations (DAWs) such as Logic Pro, Cubase, or Pro Tools, layering instruments and applying effects. Collaborate with performers including musicians, singers, and conductors to test compositions, gather feedback, and refine orchestration and phrasing. Adapt or transcribe existing works, or create variations such as arrangements for different ensemble sizes or stylistic reimaginings. Manage intellectual property rights and licensing of compositions through collection societies such as APRA AMCOS, ensuring appropriate registration and royalty collection.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

Income is unstable and often low, especially starting out. Most work is freelance or project-based with gaps between commissions. You'll spend months on unpaid pitches and demos hoping clients pick your work. Without steady gigs, you're funding your own software and gear. Film and game scores pay better but are hard to break into and often require working to tight deadlines with little creative control.

Remote work is common for game and digital media scoring, but you need an established reputation to work that way. Regional Australia has very few paid opportunities unless you also teach music locally.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2112, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Continuous Learning and Upskillingcore
• Digital Literacycore
• Goal Setting and Planningcore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
• Negotiation
• Problem Solving
• Process Documentation
• Record Management
• Team Collaboration
• Verbal Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026