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Museum Curator salary
Average museum curator salary
$44,309
How much does a museum curator make?
The average museum curator salary in the United States is $44,309. Museum curator salaries typically range between $25,000 and $77,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for museum curators is $21.3 per hour.
Museum curator salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Museum curators earn the highest average salary in Alaska.
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Where can a Museum Curator earn more?
Museum Curator salary estimates from across the web
Average museum curator salary by state
The average museum curator salary in Alaska, Connecticut, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average museum curator salary states are Montana, North Carolina, and Hawaii.
- State View
- County View
Highest paying states for museum curators
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $56,715 | $27.27 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $56,647 | $27.23 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $54,831 | $26.36 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $51,482 | $24.75 |
| 5 | Maine | $45,447 | $21.85 |
| 6 | Virginia | $49,100 | $23.61 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $53,845 | $25.89 |
| 8 | Delaware | $53,869 | $25.90 |
| 9 | New York | $48,731 | $23.43 |
| 10 | California | $50,645 | $24.35 |
| 11 | Texas | $46,089 | $22.16 |
| 12 | Nevada | $47,706 | $22.94 |
| 13 | Ohio | $44,310 | $21.30 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $44,018 | $21.16 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $45,176 | $21.72 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $43,121 | $20.73 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $44,742 | $21.51 |
| 18 | Arizona | $45,361 | $21.81 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $39,093 | $18.79 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $43,920 | $21.12 |
| 21 | Maryland | $42,488 | $20.43 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $39,971 | $19.22 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $38,734 | $18.62 |
| 24 | Oregon | $41,932 | $20.16 |
| 25 | Vermont | $43,232 | $20.78 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $37,957 | $18.25 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $38,317 | $18.42 |
| 28 | Indiana | $40,969 | $19.70 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $41,170 | $19.79 |
| 30 | Washington | $38,287 | $18.41 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $41,740 | $20.07 |
| 32 | Kansas | $36,677 | $17.63 |
| 33 | Michigan | $36,492 | $17.54 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $37,834 | $18.19 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $34,273 | $16.48 |
| 36 | Colorado | $36,411 | $17.51 |
| 37 | Georgia | $37,782 | $18.16 |
| 38 | Utah | $37,425 | $17.99 |
| 39 | Illinois | $37,131 | $17.85 |
| 40 | Alabama | $34,169 | $16.43 |
| 41 | Iowa | $34,995 | $16.82 |
| 42 | Idaho | $35,887 | $17.25 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $28,122 | $13.52 |
| 44 | Missouri | $33,450 | $16.08 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $33,343 | $16.03 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $31,985 | $15.38 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $32,753 | $15.75 |
| 48 | Florida | $30,668 | $14.74 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $31,737 | $15.26 |
| 50 | Montana | $32,626 | $15.69 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $31,085 | $14.94 |
Highest paying cities for museum curators
The highest-paying cities for museum curators are Washington, DC, Windsor, CT, and San Bernardino, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $56,686 | $27.25 |
| 2 | Windsor, CT | $54,176 | $26.05 |
| 3 | San Bernardino, CA | $50,437 | $24.25 |
| 4 | Morgantown, WV | $47,889 | $23.02 |
| 5 | Harrisburg, PA | $43,642 | $20.98 |
| 6 | Las Cruces, NM | $40,317 | $19.38 |
| 7 | Greeley, CO | $36,413 | $17.51 |
| 8 | Saint Louis, MO | $33,818 | $16.26 |
| 9 | Jonesboro, AR | $32,843 | $15.79 |
| 10 | Tallahassee, FL | $32,049 | $15.41 |
| 11 | Cheyenne, WY | $27,792 | $13.36 |
Museum Curator salary details
A museum curator's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $77,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a museum curator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $77,000 | $6,417 | $37 |
| 75th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| Average | $44,309 | $3,692 | $21 |
| 25th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Which companies pay museum curators the most?
Museum curator salaries at Smithsonian Institution and Stanford University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average museum curator salary at companies like National Park Foundation and West Virginia University are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smithsonian Institution | $80,620 | $38.76 |
| 2 | Stanford University | $75,678 | $36.38 |
| 3 | National Park Foundation | $62,477 | $30.04 |
| 4 | West Virginia University | $45,293 | $21.78 |
| 5 | Town of Windsor | $40,654 | $19.55 |
| 6 | San Bernardino County | $40,347 | $19.40 |
| 7 | University of Florida | $37,427 | $17.99 |
| 8 | Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania | $37,165 | $17.87 |
| 9 | City of Las Cruces Government | $36,864 | $17.72 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $35,082 | $16.87 |
| 11 | City of Greeley | $34,993 | $16.82 |
| 12 | Florida Department of Transportation | $31,787 | $15.28 |
| 13 | Arkansas State University, Mountain Home | $24,353 | $11.71 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Museum Curator salary trends
The average museum curator salary has risen by $6,367 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average museum curator earned $37,942 annually, but today, they earn $44,309 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for museum curators over the last decade.
Compare museum curator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average museum curator salary over time
Compare museum curator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Museum Curator salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,300 | $21.30 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $42,400 | $20.40 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $41,800 | $20.10 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | $41,800 | $20.10 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | $41,500 | $19.95 | +3.4% |
Recently added museum curator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Archivists | Curator of Native American ART, Seattle Art Museum | Great Falls, MT | 12/16/2024 | $65,291 |
| City of Las Cruces, Nm | Museum Curator (Education) | Las Cruces, NM | 12/12/2024 | $49,502 |
| National Council On Public History | Museum Curator | Kane, IL | 12/12/2024 | $47,496 |
| Department of The Interior | Museum Curator | San Francisco, CA | 12/11/2024 | $90,310 |
| FDA | Museum Curator | Enon, VA | 12/09/2024 | $68,405 |
| Department of The Interior | Museum Curator | Fort Oglethorpe, GA | 12/03/2024 | $59,966 |
| University of Texas at El Paso | Curator-Centennial Museum | El Paso, TX | 11/28/2024 | $43,234 |
| Greeley Police Co | Museum Curator of Education | Greeley, CO | 11/20/2024 | $61,500 |
| City of Greeley | Museum Curator of Education | Greeley, CO | 11/20/2024 | $61,500 |
| City of Greeley (Co | Museum Curator of Education | Greeley, CO | 10/23/2024 | $61,500 |
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