Curators Career, Salary and Skills
Curators have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $63,420 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 12,150. Wage data is published for 130 locations.
Occupation description
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
Typical education
Master's Degree
Experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$63,420
Hourly median
$30.49
Employment
12,150
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.62 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Writing | 3.88 | 4.62 |
| Active Listening | 3.88 | 4.25 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 4.38 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.50 | 3.88 |
| Active Learning | 3.50 | 4.12 |
| Monitoring | 3.38 | 4.00 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.38 | 3.38 |
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.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe FreeHand MX
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Apple macOS
- Artsystems Collections
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Cuadra Associates STAR/Museums
- Database software
- Eloquent Systems Eloquent
- Ex Libris Group DigiTool
Curators salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Curators Salary in NYMedian $79,120 · Employment 1,330
- Curators Salary in CAMedian $78,740 · Employment 1,140
- Curators Salary in New York, NYMedian $83,110 · Employment 970
- Curators Salary in TXMedian $59,990 · Employment 690
- Curators Salary in NCMedian $49,470 · Employment 600
- Curators Salary in PAMedian $62,100 · Employment 520
- Curators Salary in VAMedian $58,200 · Employment 450
- Curators Salary in FLMedian $59,500 · Employment 420
- Curators Salary in ILMedian $63,060 · Employment 410
- Curators Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $77,160 · Employment 390
- Curators Salary in OHMedian $63,640 · Employment 370
- Curators Salary in MAMedian $77,790 · Employment 370
Related careers
- Geography Teachers, PostsecondaryNational median $97,590
- Social Science Research AssistantsNational median $61,990
- Tour Guides and EscortsNational median not published
- Instructional CoordinatorsNational median $77,440
- Library Assistants, ClericalNational median $36,910
- English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondaryNational median $78,760
- Architecture Teachers, PostsecondaryNational median $96,870
- Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, PostsecondaryNational median $85,020
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.