What was the average salary of a composer in 1886?

Answer 1

There is no saying. Many drew a basic income from teaching, which was as high as what a music teacher would be making today - so, a modest income. Other income would vary greatly, depending on whether the composer also was making money from concerts as a musician, and on whether his work was popular and widely performed. But even if it was, composers back then only earned a fraction of what today's Pop Music composers make. If they toured as musicians they were usually very happy if the proceeds exceeded the costs by a few thousands.

Even an acclaimed composer/performer like Franz Liszt had to live in his later years on an average yearly income of some 15,000 dollars in today's money. Wagner was continually broke, often living on loans from friends.