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Job outlook for museum curators in the United States
Are museum curator jobs in demand?
Museum Curator job and salary trends over time
Museum Curator jobs over time
Museum Curator job growth rate over time
Year  | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,041 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 2,174 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 2,385 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 2,272 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 2,137 | 0.00% |
Average museum curator salary over time
Museum Curator salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,309 | $21.30 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $42,428 | $20.40 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $41,814 | $20.10 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | $41,806 | $20.10 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | $41,487 | $19.95 | +3.6% |
Museum Curator jobs by state
Most common states for museum curators
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 4 | 1% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 4 | 1% |
| 3 | California | 39,536,653 | 19 | 0% |
| 4 | New York | 19,849,399 | 11 | 0% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 9 | 0% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 9 | 0% |
| 7 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 4 | 0% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 4 | 0% |
| 9 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 3 | 0% |
| 10 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 3 | 0% |
| 11 | Alaska | 739,795 | 2 | 0% |
| 12 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 2 | 0% |
| 13 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 2 | 0% |
| 14 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 1 | 0% |
| 15 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1 | 0% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | Delaware | 961,939 | 0 | 0% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 0 | 0% |
| 19 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 0 | 0% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 0 | 0% |
Most common cities for museum curators
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homestead | 1 | 1% | $29,507 |
| 2 | Tallahassee | 1 | 1% | $32,049 |
| 3 | Washington | 2 | 0% | $56,686 |
| 4 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $49,875 |
Museum Curator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of museum curator experts
Southern University at New Orleans
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Franklin and Marshall College
Central Washington University
Dr. Barry Jackisch
Associate Professor of History and Director of the Roger Ray Institute for HumanitiesWhat general advice would you give to a Museum Curator?
Dr. Barry Jackisch: Be honest when you are in the negotiating stage with a future employer and do as much research as you can before entering conversations about salary and benefits. Also ask in the negotiations if there is a plan in place for regular salary increases/raises or opportunities for additional work and/or promotion and what that might look like.
What Museum Curator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Barry Jackisch: For the field of Holocaust studies in particular, I think several things are important. One is to understand the broader field of comparative genocide and where recent research on the Holocaust fits into that work. Secondly, students should pay close attention to the emerging field of digital humanities, with a particular focus on digital research and presentation regarding the Holocaust. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a strong resource in this area.
What will help Museum Curators increase their earning potential?
Dr. Barry Jackisch: There is an extensive network of regional/national Holocaust museums in the United States. Begin with an internet search, identify institutions that fit your location profile, and check employment pages with all of those institutions.
What general advice would you give to a Museum Curator?
Dr. Haitham Eid Ph.D.: Starting a career in the museum field can be exciting and rewarding. My general advice to museum studies graduates is to always continue expanding their knowledge and skills through professional workshops and conferences. Attending museum events, conferences, and workshops will expand your professional network which can open up opportunities for job placement, collaboration, and career advancement. It is important that you stay up to date with current trends, technologies, and issues in the museum field by reading museum publications, following relevant blogs, and participating in professional development opportunities. I would also encourage new graduates to consider specializing in a particular area of museum work, such as collections management, exhibition design, or education. Developing expertise in a specific area can help you stand out in the field. With this being said, the museum field can be competitive, so be open to different opportunities and be willing to take on new challenges to grow in your career.
What Museum Curator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Haitham Eid Ph.D.: The museum field is evolving rapidly, requiring professionals to stay agile, adaptable, and committed to lifelong learning. As museums continue to expand their use of digital tools to manage their collections, engage audiences in galleries and online, and improve its social impact, digital literacy will be an essential skill for museum professionals. This includes proficiency with digital tools and platforms, as well as an understanding of digital best practices in areas such as social media, virtual/augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. Also, the ability to analyze data will be increasingly important for museums to understand their audiences, track trends, and make informed decisions. Skills in data analysis and visualization will be valuable for museum professionals in various roles. With an increasing focus on diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) in museums, cultural competency skills will be crucial. This includes understanding and respecting diverse cultures, perspectives, and experiences. Additionally, skills in collaboration, communication, innovation, and interdisciplinary work will be essential for successful museum professionals.
What will help Museum Curators increase their earning potential?
Dr. Haitham Eid Ph.D.: There are several effective strategies you can use to increase your earning potential in the museum field. Consider developing specialized skills such as graphic design or film making. That will make you more valuable to employers and increase your earning potential. Don’t hesitate to negotiate your salary. Research salary ranges for similar positions in your area and be prepared to negotiate for a salary that reflects your worth. You can seek the advice of other museum colleagues. Also, websites like Glassdoor, PayScale, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics can provide salary information for museum professionals. When negotiating salary for a new job, be prepared to advocate for yourself. Highlight your skills, experience, and value to the organization. Salaries can vary widely depending on the location and type of museum. Consider seeking opportunities in areas with higher salaries or in museums that offer competitive compensation packages.
What Museum Curator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Paul Brodwin PhD: In fields like cultural preservation, cultural resource management, and museum curation, the regulatory environment is always changing. Anthropologists rarely have a legal or policy-making background, but they need to understand the stakes of those fields. Of course, AI is rapidly changing, and it might change the playing field in anthropology in the near-term future.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Museum Curators?
M. Alison Kibler Ph.D.: Some things seem to have changed in the pandemic, but F&M's graduates in American Studies did quite well in the first pandemic season of job hunting.
What type of skills will young Museum Curators need?
M. Alison Kibler Ph.D.: The key for today's graduate is to come ready with relevant skills and experience. A college degree without relevant skills and experience will just not be as sufficient as in previous years to land that first, post-graduate role.
Creativity, proactivity along with strong communication skills and intellectual grit to anticipate and respond proactively to the unexpected are the competencies most prized in today's labor market. Showing that one worked through the pandemic, and even pursued additional skills and experiences relevant to a role or field, will make a graduate stand out from among their less prepared and proactive peers.
In the last class of American Studies graduates (class of 2020), I saw some students take a new path to a job. For example, one student had an internship where she worked remotely for a digital marketing firm. This then became a full-time job after graduation. Another student had worked on legal research (also remote) over the summer and in her senior seminar, and then got a job as a legal assistant in the New York DA's office. She hopes to ultimately go to law school. This is a job that other AMS alumni have secured in the past. Other students got jobs as community organizers, teachers, museum curators and entry-level business positions. These paths seemed largely the same as in the past. All built on course work and/or internships where they developed skills and deepened interest in topics. The student that went to work as a community organizer, for example, had done a senior research project on homelessness.
Jessica A. Mayhew Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorCentral Washington University
Anthropology and Museum Studies
What experience really stands out on Museum Curator resumes?
Jessica A. Mayhew Ph.D.: Applied (hands-on) experiences are great to see on resumes/CVs and show that students have taken classroom learning into the real world. It's that tough bit where you have to take something you've learned (in theory) and then see how it functions in reality.