Curators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$63,420
United States, 2025
Employment
12,150
United States, 2025
Typical education
Master's Degree
Job Zone 5
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. May conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.
- O*NET code
- 25-4012.00
- Job zone
- 5
- Experience required
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
Typical tasks
- Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials, including the selection of exhibition themes and designs, and develop or install exhibit materials.
- Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases.
- Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise.
- Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public.
- Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections.
- Study, examine, and test acquisitions to authenticate their origin, composition, history, and to assess their current value.
- Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to ensure that climate and pest control issues are addressed.
- Write and review grant proposals, journal articles, institutional reports, and publicity materials.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$40,470
25th percentile
$48,870
75th percentile
$83,080
90th percentile
$107,140
Most important skills
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Writing3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Active Learning3.5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Monitoring3.4
- Systems Analysis3.4
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Learning Strategies3.3
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 20 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
20
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.6 | Not selected | 4.6 |
| Writing | 3.9 | 4.6 | Not selected | 4.6 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Speaking | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.5 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.4 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.3 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Time Management | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Management of Material Resources | 3.0 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
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Compare with CuratorsSupplemental
National median $78,620
Compare with CuratorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | $102,110 | 70 | 2025 |
| Dayton, OH | $94,740 | 40 | 2025 |
| DC | $93,310 | 140 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $90,800 | 240 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $87,400 | 270 | 2025 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $84,150 | 70 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $83,110 | 970 | 2025 |
| Albany, NY | $82,640 | 80 | 2025 |
| NH | $82,490 | 60 | 2025 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $82,150 | 60 | 2025 |
| Amherst Town, MA | $79,380 | — | 2025 |
| NY | $79,120 | 1,330 | 2025 |
| CA | $78,740 | 1,140 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $78,720 | 220 | 2025 |
| Worcester, MA | $78,450 | 30 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $78,420 | 50 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $78,340 | 150 | 2025 |
| RI | $77,930 | 70 | 2025 |
| NJ | $77,800 | 120 | 2025 |
| MA | $77,790 | 370 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Curators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.