Career Overlap Occupation record
RecordJob

Where a composer can go next

5 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a composer already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.

Composers create new music pieces in a variety of styles. They usually note down the created music in musical notation. Composers may work independently or as part of a group or ensemble. Many create pieces to support film, television, games or live performances.

Also known as music producer, jingle writer, music composer and producer, film music composer, theater music composer, music producer & composer, sound track composer, songwriter, theatre music composer, computer composer, singer-songwriter, music composer.

Professionals 24 skills on file 5 career moves 1 above 60% overlap Closest: music arranger, 63%

Fig. 2 · Career map 5 nearest · ESCO v1.2.1
music arranger 63% covered music director 37% covered lyricist 24% covered répétiteur 20% covered musical conductor 19% covered composer You are here
  • 70% and above · short step
  • 50 to 70% · real move
  • Below 50% · substantial retraining
The 5 nearest destinations from composer, each one a link to that move’s record. Distance from the centre is how much retraining the move takes; the figure on each is how much of that role a composer already covers. All 5 are listed in the tables below.
Table 1

Table 1 · Within reach

Table 2

Table 2 · A bigger jump

Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.

Table 3

Table 3 · What the job itself asks for

A composer needs 16 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.

Required skill Area
  • select elements for a composition communication, collaboration and creativity
  • complete final musical scores communication, collaboration and creativity
  • create musical structures communication, collaboration and creativity
  • work out orchestral sketches communication, collaboration and creativity
  • evaluate musical ideas communication, collaboration and creativity
  • develop musical ideas communication, collaboration and creativity
  • rewrite musical scores communication, collaboration and creativity
  • transcribe ideas into musical notation communication, collaboration and creativity
  • create musical forms communication, collaboration and creativity
  • write musical scores communication, collaboration and creativity
Table 4

Table 4 · Jobs that lead here

The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what a composer does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.

Index

Look up another occupation

Composer is filed under Professionals, ISCO major group 2. The full index lists all ten groups.

Note

How these figures were compiled

Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a composer’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.