Curators
Curators (SOC 25-4012) earn a median $63,420 a year ($30.49 an hour) in the United States, with 12,150 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What curators do
Curators administer the collections of museums and other institutions, whether artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens. They plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections, develop and maintain registration, cataloging, and record-keeping systems, and provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and the public. They negotiate and authorize the purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of items, study and test acquisitions to authenticate their origin, composition, and history, and inspect premises to check that climate and pest controls are adequate. They also design and run research projects in their field of expertise and write or review grant proposals, journal articles, reports, and publicity material for the institution. Museum technicians and conservators, who handle physical care and restoration, and archivists, who handle documents, are counted separately. Collections manager, art curator, and data curator are among the alternate titles O*NET lists.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a master's degree.
Also called: Art Curator, Art Handler, Coin Collector, Collections Curator, Collections Manager.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $19.46 | $23.49 | $30.49 | $39.94 | $51.51 | $34.40 | 12,150 |
| Annual | $40,470 | $48,870 | $63,420 | $83,080 | $107,140 | $71,560 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where curators earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $30.06 | $35.59 | $44.86 | $53.62 | $77.59 | $48.28 | 140 | 0.20 | 2.62 |
| Annual | $62,530 | $74,030 | $93,310 | $111,530 | $161,380 | $100,420 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $21.45 | $27.75 | $39.66 | $46.77 | $58.19 | $38.30 | 60 | 0.09 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $44,620 | $57,720 | $82,490 | $97,280 | $121,030 | $79,660 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $22.14 | $28.05 | $38.04 | $49.63 | $71.43 | $43.57 | 1,330 | 0.14 | 1.76 |
| Annual | $46,060 | $58,340 | $79,120 | $103,240 | $148,580 | $90,630 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $25.67 | $31.96 | $37.86 | $47.80 | $60.42 | $41.51 | 1,140 | 0.06 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $53,390 | $66,480 | $78,740 | $99,430 | $125,670 | $86,330 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $22.47 | $30.97 | $37.47 | $50.17 | $52.36 | $39.65 | 70 | 0.15 | 1.87 |
| Annual | $46,740 | $64,430 | $77,930 | $104,350 | $108,900 | $82,470 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $22.14 | $28.05 | $38.04 | $49.63 | $71.43 | $43.57 | 1,330 | 0.14 | 1.76 |
| Annual | $46,060 | $58,340 | $79,120 | $103,240 | $148,580 | $90,630 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $25.67 | $31.96 | $37.86 | $47.80 | $60.42 | $41.51 | 1,140 | 0.06 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $53,390 | $66,480 | $78,740 | $99,430 | $125,670 | $86,330 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $20.69 | $24.10 | $28.84 | $37.19 | $45.13 | $31.19 | 690 | 0.05 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $43,040 | $50,120 | $59,990 | $77,350 | $93,860 | $64,880 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $20.31 | $22.86 | $23.78 | $33.35 | $36.97 | $27.64 | 600 | 0.12 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $42,240 | $47,560 | $49,470 | $69,360 | $76,890 | $57,490 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $21.60 | $23.36 | $29.86 | $41.10 | $48.79 | $33.32 | 520 | 0.09 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $44,930 | $48,590 | $62,100 | $85,490 | $101,490 | $69,310 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Haven, CT | Hourly | $29.26 | $36.01 | $49.09 | $61.30 | $78.28 | $47.99 | 70 | 0.25 | 3.18 |
| Annual | $60,850 | $74,890 | $102,110 | $127,510 | $162,820 | $99,830 | ||||
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | Hourly | $22.35 | $29.69 | $45.55 | $58.93 | $62.59 | $44.11 | 40 | 0.10 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $46,480 | $61,750 | $94,740 | $122,570 | $130,190 | $91,750 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $29.62 | $37.84 | $43.66 | $53.13 | $72.72 | $47.21 | 240 | 0.10 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $61,620 | $78,700 | $90,800 | $110,510 | $151,260 | $98,200 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $26.04 | $30.60 | $42.02 | $53.62 | $63.37 | $44.73 | 270 | 0.09 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $54,170 | $63,650 | $87,400 | $111,530 | $131,810 | $93,030 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $19.40 | $29.18 | $40.46 | $48.92 | $51.92 | $38.85 | 70 | 0.03 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $40,340 | $60,700 | $84,150 | $101,760 | $107,990 | $80,810 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $24.71 | $29.81 | $39.96 | $56.61 | $77.58 | $48.03 | 970 | 0.10 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $51,390 | $62,000 | $83,110 | $117,750 | $161,360 | $99,910 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $24.95 | $32.98 | $37.09 | $47.80 | $61.11 | $41.03 | 390 | 0.06 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $51,900 | $68,600 | $77,160 | $99,430 | $127,100 | $85,350 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $20.25 | $26.42 | $30.32 | $38.66 | $52.75 | $34.63 | 290 | 0.07 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $42,120 | $54,950 | $63,060 | $80,410 | $109,720 | $72,030 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $22.79 | $24.59 | $30.70 | $41.20 | $50.07 | $34.80 | 290 | 0.10 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $47,410 | $51,140 | $63,860 | $85,690 | $104,150 | $72,390 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $26.04 | $30.60 | $42.02 | $53.62 | $63.37 | $44.73 | 270 | 0.09 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $54,170 | $63,650 | $87,400 | $111,530 | $131,810 | $93,030 | ||||
Top industries employing curators
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions employ 55.1% of curators nationally (6,700 jobs) at a median $61,790 a year ($29.71 an hour), followed by Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (14.4%) and Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (10.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions NAICS 712100 | 6,700 | 55.1% | $61,790 | $29.71 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 1,750 | 14.4% | $72,230 | $34.73 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 1,270 | 10.5% | $63,680 | $30.61 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 870 | 7.2% | $62,820 | $30.20 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 350 | 2.9% | $99,150 | $47.67 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (12,150). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $60,110 for curators in May 2021 and $63,420 in May 2025, with employment of 11,030 and 12,150.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $60,110 | $28.90 | 11,030 |
| May 2022 | $60,380 | $29.03 | 11,620 |
| May 2023 | $61,750 | $29.69 | 12,510 |
| May 2024 | $61,770 | $29.70 | 12,280 |
| May 2025 | $63,420 | $30.49 | 12,150 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $44.86 | $93,310 | $62,530 | $161,380 | 140 | 0.20 | 2.62 |
| 2 | New Hampshire profile | $39.66 | $82,490 | $44,620 | $121,030 | 60 | 0.09 | 1.10 |
| 3 | New York profile | $38.04 | $79,120 | $46,060 | $148,580 | 1,330 | 0.14 | 1.76 |
| 4 | California profile | $37.86 | $78,740 | $53,390 | $125,670 | 1,140 | 0.06 | 0.80 |
| 5 | Rhode Island profile | $37.47 | $77,930 | $46,740 | $108,900 | 70 | 0.15 | 1.87 |
| 6 | New Jersey profile | $37.40 | $77,800 | $48,870 | $114,880 | 120 | 0.03 | 0.36 |
| 7 | Massachusetts profile | $37.40 | $77,790 | $41,310 | $130,480 | 370 | 0.10 | 1.32 |
| 8 | Connecticut profile | $36.78 | $76,510 | $46,980 | $127,510 | 190 | 0.11 | 1.41 |
| 9 | South Dakota profile | $36.05 | $74,990 | $49,740 | $98,490 | 50 | 0.11 | 1.34 |
| 10 | Washington profile | $35.59 | $74,030 | $45,720 | $119,220 | 260 | 0.07 | 0.93 |
| 11 | Colorado profile | $35.40 | $73,630 | $51,940 | $104,530 | 300 | 0.10 | 1.32 |
| 12 | Nevada profile | $33.61 | $69,900 | $43,010 | $96,850 | 100 | 0.06 | 0.80 |
| 13 | Wisconsin profile | $30.95 | $64,370 | $43,210 | $91,220 | 300 | 0.10 | 1.30 |
| 14 | Alaska profile | $30.71 | $63,880 | $53,920 | $105,870 | 90 | 0.27 | 3.43 |
| 15 | Maryland profile | $30.65 | $63,750 | $51,860 | $102,260 | 170 | 0.06 | 0.77 |
| 16 | New Mexico profile | $30.62 | $63,690 | $50,350 | $74,960 | 140 | 0.17 | 2.12 |
| 17 | Ohio profile | $30.60 | $63,640 | $33,280 | $102,610 | 370 | 0.07 | 0.84 |
| 18 | Arizona profile | $30.53 | $63,510 | $36,490 | $102,800 | 150 | 0.05 | 0.58 |
| 19 | Michigan profile | $30.38 | $63,190 | $36,440 | $105,970 | 360 | 0.08 | 1.03 |
| 20 | Illinois profile | $30.32 | $63,060 | $36,490 | $107,990 | 410 | 0.07 | 0.86 |
| 21 | Oregon profile | $30.19 | $62,790 | $43,100 | $103,880 | 260 | 0.13 | 1.69 |
| 22 | Idaho profile | $29.90 | $62,190 | $40,170 | $76,400 | 50 | 0.06 | 0.81 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania profile | $29.86 | $62,100 | $44,930 | $101,490 | 520 | 0.09 | 1.10 |
| 24 | Wyoming profile | $29.77 | $61,910 | $36,690 | $82,430 | 90 | 0.32 | 4.03 |
| 25 | Alabama profile | $29.39 | $61,120 | $40,800 | $98,470 | 150 | 0.07 | 0.92 |
| 26 | Oklahoma profile | $29.12 | $60,560 | $39,040 | $101,970 | 150 | 0.09 | 1.10 |
| 27 | Louisiana profile | $28.89 | $60,080 | $36,030 | $101,700 | 160 | 0.08 | 1.04 |
| 28 | Texas profile | $28.84 | $59,990 | $43,040 | $93,860 | 690 | 0.05 | 0.63 |
| 29 | Missouri profile | $28.83 | $59,960 | $36,790 | $102,850 | 260 | 0.09 | 1.12 |
| 30 | Utah profile | $28.80 | $59,910 | $39,870 | $80,790 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.38 |
| 31 | Florida profile | $28.61 | $59,500 | $37,880 | $107,000 | 420 | 0.04 | 0.54 |
| 32 | Nebraska profile | $28.18 | $58,600 | $37,320 | $86,880 | 120 | 0.12 | 1.52 |
| 33 | Virginia profile | $27.98 | $58,200 | $38,550 | $107,910 | 450 | 0.11 | 1.41 |
| 34 | Georgia profile | $27.80 | $57,810 | $38,590 | $96,820 | 230 | 0.05 | 0.61 |
| 35 | Tennessee profile | $27.68 | $57,580 | $32,960 | $89,130 | 190 | 0.06 | 0.75 |
| 36 | Delaware profile | $27.31 | $56,800 | $41,880 | $89,440 | 60 | 0.13 | 1.60 |
| 37 | Kansas profile | $27.23 | $56,630 | $30,160 | $88,880 | 120 | 0.08 | 1.03 |
| 38 | Vermont profile | $27.18 | $56,520 | $36,810 | $78,210 | 60 | 0.21 | 2.66 |
| 39 | Maine profile | $27.15 | $56,470 | $40,100 | $80,110 | 110 | 0.16 | 2.10 |
| 40 | Kentucky profile | $26.67 | $55,460 | $34,420 | $82,400 | 130 | 0.06 | 0.80 |
| 41 | Montana profile | $26.18 | $54,460 | $37,760 | $88,910 | 100 | 0.19 | 2.45 |
| 42 | Minnesota profile | $25.93 | $53,920 | $33,280 | $90,670 | 220 | 0.07 | 0.95 |
| 43 | Indiana profile | $25.92 | $53,910 | $41,510 | $84,450 | 220 | 0.07 | 0.89 |
| 44 | Arkansas profile | $25.90 | $53,870 | $42,550 | $98,120 | 80 | 0.06 | 0.81 |
| 45 | Iowa profile | $25.88 | $53,830 | $31,910 | $89,780 | 230 | 0.15 | 1.90 |
| 46 | Hawaii profile | $24.39 | $50,720 | $40,640 | $100,300 | 140 | 0.22 | 2.86 |
| 47 | North Carolina profile | $23.78 | $49,470 | $42,240 | $76,890 | 600 | 0.12 | 1.56 |
| 48 | South Carolina profile | $22.69 | $47,200 | $35,800 | $78,430 | 120 | 0.05 | 0.67 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $19.52 | $40,600 | $27,680 | $63,130 | 30 | 0.03 | 0.34 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-4010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 25-4012 Curators.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-4012, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-4012.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.