How much does a Museum Assistant make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Museum Assistant in the United States is $66,786 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $32.
However, a Museum Assistant's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $87,271
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,484 to $77,509
Key Factors That Influence Museum Assistant Salaries
A Museum Assistant's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Museum Assistant Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Museum Assistant's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $65,590
Early Career (1-2 years): $66,444
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $70,182
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $73,512
Expert (over 8 years): $74,345
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Museum Assistant
$65,590
Intermediate Level Museum Assistant
$66,444
Senior Level Museum Assistant
$70,182
Specialist Level Museum Assistant
$73,512
Expert Level Museum Assistant
$74,345
$65,5900 yr
$66,444< 2 yrs
$70,1822-4 yrs
$73,5125-8 yrs
$74,345> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Museum Assistant Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Museum Assistants.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $73,946.
California: $73,665.
Massachusetts: $72,683.
District of Columbia$73,946
California$73,665
Massachusetts$72,683
Washington$72,416
New Jersey$72,389
Alaska$72,296
Connecticut$71,374
New York$71,000
Hawaii$69,805
Rhode Island$69,244
Maryland$68,863
Minnesota$68,342
Colorado$68,142
Illinois$68,075
Oregon$67,821
Delaware$67,634
New Hampshire$67,517
Virginia$67,254
Pennsylvania$66,486
Nevada$66,098
North Dakota$65,971
Michigan$65,771
Wisconsin$65,697
Vermont$65,551
Texas$65,143
Maine$65,116
Arizona$65,076
Ohio$65,030
Georgia$64,415
Indiana$64,108
Wyoming$64,048
Utah$63,954
Iowa$63,914
Kansas$63,594
Louisiana$63,500
North Carolina$63,467
Missouri$63,453
Florida$63,193
Montana$63,053
Nebraska$62,919
Kentucky$62,846
South Carolina$62,579
Tennessee$62,412
Idaho$62,345
New Mexico$61,857
Oklahoma$61,750
Alabama$61,356
South Dakota$60,695
Arkansas$60,335
West Virginia$60,141
Mississippi$59,560
Top Paying Cities for Museum Assistants
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $84,237
San Francisco: $83,315
Oakland: $81,559
San Jose, CA$84,237
San Francisco, CA$83,315
Oakland, CA$81,559
New York, NY$76,897
Paramus, NJ$75,962
Queens Village, NY$75,959
Passaic, NJ$75,895
Bergenfield, NJ$75,889
Stamford, CT$75,742
Huntington, NY$75,715
Newark, NJ$75,221
Bridgeport, CT$75,080
Vallejo, CA$74,947
New Brunswick, NJ$74,921
Petaluma, CA$74,881
Middlesex, NJ$74,754
Somerset, NJ$74,707
Santa Cruz, CA$74,620
Boston, MA$74,213
Monterey, CA$73,978
Seattle, WA$73,825
Santa Rosa, CA$73,812
Los Angeles, CA$73,792
Juneau, AK$73,618
Washington, DC$73,545
Orange, CA$73,307
Santa Ana, CA$73,131
Long Beach, CA$73,064
Anaheim, CA$73,051
Anchorage, AK$73,017
Santa Maria, CA$72,817
Everett, WA$72,804
Danbury, CT$72,568
Bremerton, WA$72,476
Tacoma, WA$72,236
New Suffolk, NY$72,235
Sacramento, CA$72,216
Santa Barbara, CA$72,142
Trenton, NJ$72,069
San Diego, CA$72,069
Brockton, MA$71,995
Fairbanks, AK$71,832
Lompoc, CA$71,661
Lowell, MA$71,607
Ventura, CA$71,595
Nashua, NH$71,581
Stockton, CA$71,575
Modesto, CA$71,087
Poughkeepsie, NY$70,940
Olympia, WA$70,813
Kennewick, WA$70,813
New Haven, CT$70,787
Lawrence, MA$70,546
Hartford, CT$70,479
Riverside, CA$70,466
New Bedford, MA$70,399
Richland, WA$70,399
Bakersfield, CA$70,306
San Bernardino, CA$70,279
New Britain, CT$70,272
Atlantic City, NJ$70,272
New London, CT$70,246
Norwich, CT$70,226
Portsmouth, NH$70,212
Boulder, CO$70,071
Portland, OR$69,978
Worcester, MA$69,972
Minneapolis, MN$69,765
Philadelphia, PA$69,671
Honolulu, HI$69,451
Saint Paul, MN$69,419
Vineland, NJ$69,404
Providence, RI$69,210
Chicago, IL$69,017
Bellingham, WA$68,937
Springfield, MA$68,883
Baltimore, MD$68,863
Chico, CA$68,696
Pittsfield, MA$68,516
Manchester, NH$68,389
Spokane, WA$68,095
Denver, CO$68,088
Albany, NY$67,775
Troy, NY$67,748
Nassau, NY$67,676
Schenectady, NY$67,608
Wilmington, DE$67,554
Burlington, VT$67,461
Salem, OR$67,434
Portland, ME$67,227
Yakima, WA$67,160
Rochester, MN$66,953
Reno, NV$66,920
Fresno, CA$66,920
Milwaukee, WI$66,860
Detroit, MI$66,793
Ann Arbor, MI$66,781
Allentown, PA$66,773
Colorado Springs, CO$66,659
Syracuse, NY$66,626
Carson City, NV$66,626
Houston, TX$66,532
Eugene, OR$66,499
Gary, IN$66,419
Springfield, OR$66,365
Bismarck, ND$66,352
Galveston, TX$66,305
Medford, OR$66,205
Fort Collins, CO$66,178
Concord, NH$66,145
Austin, TX$66,125
Mesa, AZ$65,985
Reading, PA$65,978
Phoenix, AZ$65,971
Dallas, TX$65,951
Saint Cloud, MN$65,887
Madison, WI$65,798
Utica, NY$65,617
Rochester, NY$65,510
Des Moines, IA$65,504
Raleigh, NC$65,497
Atlanta, GA$65,397
Battle Creek, MI$65,377
Salt Lake City, UT$65,357
Lancaster, PA$65,257
Harrisburg, PA$65,163
Kansas City, MO$65,096
Champaign, IL$65,083
Kansas City, KS$65,083
Fort Worth, TX$65,076
Columbus, OH$65,065
Boca Raton, FL$65,050
Pittsburgh, PA$65,023
Richmond, VA$64,996
Indianapolis, IN$64,983
Cleveland, OH$64,976
Las Vegas, NV$64,896
Cincinnati, OH$64,896
Petersburg, VA$64,796
Huntsville, AL$64,696
Lansing, MI$64,651
Lebanon, PA$64,642
Pueblo, CO$64,636
Appleton, WI$64,616
Buffalo, NY$64,589
Dayton, OH$64,569
Racine, WI$64,555
Charlotte, NC$64,549
Saint Louis, MO$64,529
York, PA$64,489
Elkhart, IN$64,489
Gastonia, NC$64,476
Billings, MT$64,460
Beaumont, TX$64,442
Lorain, OH$64,429
Benton Harbor, MI$64,415
Toledo, OH$64,402
Binghamton, NY$64,368
Rock Hill, SC$64,362
Rockford, IL$64,328
Springfield, IL$64,302
Elyria, OH$64,295
Fargo, ND$64,295
Flagstaff, AZ$64,248
Fort Lauderdale, FL$64,208
Duluth, MN$64,168
Miami, FL$64,168
Cheyenne, WY$64,121
Grand Forks, ND$64,121
Bangor, ME$63,974
Cedar Rapids, IA$63,901
Durham, NC$63,873
Louisville, KY$63,868
Grand Rapids, MI$63,854
Hialeah, FL$63,848
Casper, WY$63,754
Scranton, PA$63,674
New Orleans, LA$63,654
Virginia Beach, VA$63,647
Akron, OH$63,614
Peoria, IL$63,527
Sarasota, FL$63,514
Nashville, TN$63,467
Omaha, NE$63,467
Green Bay, WI$63,467
Baton Rouge, LA$63,433
Charleston, SC$63,420
Jamestown, NY$63,387
Davenport, IA$63,387
Tucson, AZ$63,353
Saint Petersburg, FL$63,313
Tampa, FL$63,300
Evansville, IN$63,260
Port Arthur, TX$63,260
Bradenton, FL$63,233
Santa Fe, NM$63,113
Orlando, FL$62,993
Clearwater, FL$62,973
Canton, OH$62,832
La Crosse, WI$62,832
Albuquerque, NM$62,792
Newport News, VA$62,786
High Point, NC$62,766
Ogden, UT$62,739
Corpus Christi, TX$62,685
Norfolk, VA$62,645
Laramie, WY$62,645
Rock Island, IL$62,605
Saginaw, MI$62,592
Jacksonville, FL$62,585
Salisbury, NC$62,572
Boise, ID$62,559
Moline, IL$62,525
Fort Myers, FL$62,505
Memphis, TN$62,492
Tulsa, OK$62,458
Waterloo, IA$62,418
Spartanburg, SC$62,352
Lincoln, NE$62,318
Fort Wayne, IN$62,305
Provo, UT$62,298
Cedar Falls, IA$62,218
San Antonio, TX$62,191
Greensboro, NC$62,165
South Bend, IN$62,158
Savannah, GA$62,084
Muskegon, MI$62,058
Birmingham, AL$62,051
Winston Salem, NC$62,018
Lake Charles, LA$61,857
Anderson, IN$61,844
Lexington, KY$61,824
Augusta, GA$61,804
Greenville, SC$61,804
Lima, OH$61,750
Wichita, KS$61,744
Tuscaloosa, AL$61,744
Columbia, SC$61,684
Springfield, OH$61,670
Asheville, NC$61,563
Bloomington, IN$61,517
Knoxville, TN$61,276
Shreveport, LA$61,270
Wilmington, NC$61,183
Roanoke, VA$61,183
Topeka, KS$61,063
Frankfort, KY$61,055
Oklahoma City, OK$61,009
Chillicothe, OH$60,982
Longview, TX$60,976
Melbourne, FL$60,969
Sioux Falls, SD$60,862
Mobile, AL$60,855
Terre Haute, IN$60,829
Altoona, PA$60,789
Amarillo, TX$60,742
Killeen, TX$60,722
Fayetteville, AR$60,668
Chattanooga, TN$60,648
Sioux City, IA$60,588
Idaho Falls, ID$60,575
Lynchburg, VA$60,522
Gainesville, FL$60,435
Portsmouth, OH$60,401
Little Rock, AR$60,388
Lafayette, LA$60,361
Youngstown, OH$60,361
Daytona Beach, FL$60,321
Clarksville, TN$60,315
Pensacola, FL$60,308
Temple, TX$60,303
Hopkinsville, KY$60,107
Erie, PA$60,094
Florence, SC$60,067
Charleston, WV$59,961
Great Falls, MT$59,927
Macon, GA$59,834
Tallahassee, FL$59,827
Fayetteville, NC$59,814
Waco, TX$59,800
Helena, MT$59,754
Pine Bluff, AR$59,728
Vincennes, IN$59,647
Lubbock, TX$59,620
Alamogordo, NM$59,580
Twin Falls, ID$59,520
Rapid City, SD$59,500
Jackson, MS$59,380
Huntington, WV$59,375
Greenville, MS$59,373
Parkersburg, WV$59,305
Montgomery, AL$59,293
Wichita Falls, TX$59,226
Springfield, MO$59,226
Biloxi, MS$59,193
Monroe, LA$59,126
Johnstown, PA$59,079
Sumter, SC$59,052
Columbus, GA$59,046
Pascagoula, MS$58,919
Abilene, TX$58,919
Kingsport, TN$58,745
Albany, GA$58,745
Gulfport, MS$58,725
Alexandria, LA$58,505
Fort Smith, AR$58,338
El Paso, TX$58,157
Las Cruces, NM$57,857
Harlingen, TX$57,687
Pocatello, ID$57,676
Florence, AL$57,590
Brownsville, TX$57,576
Mcallen, TX$57,436
Dothan, AL$57,343
Columbus, MS$56,946
Altus, OK$56,635
Lawton, OK$56,508
Pierre, SD$56,267
What Skills Can Increase a Museum Assistant's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Collaboration (Mentioned in 4.32% Job Postings): Works cooperatively and shares ideas with coworkers and managers to achieve common goals and objectives.
CAD (Mentioned in 2.66% Job Postings): Computer-aided design is the use of computers to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer
CNC (Mentioned in 1.33% Job Postings): Numerical control is the automated control of machining tools by means of a computer. A CNC machine processes a piece of material to meet specifications by following coded programmed instructions
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Collaboration
4.32%
CAD
2.66%
CNC
1.33%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Museum Assistant's salary.
Team Development: Can increase your salary by up to 25%.
Computer Aided Design: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
Troubleshooting: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Team Development
$83,483
25%
Computer Aided Design
$77,472
16%
Troubleshooting
$73,465
10%
Negotiating
$73,465
10%
Collaboration
$73,465
10%
Conceptualization
$73,465
10%
Get Latest Data
Museum Assistant Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Museum Assistant roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 15% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Edu., Gov't.,
offers compensation 10% above the average. Conversely,
Museum Assistant positions in Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Museum Assistant as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Museum Assistant
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't.
$73,465
$35.0
10%
How Education impacts a Museum Assistant's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Museum Assistants enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Museum Assistant with a No Diploma is between
$73,139
and $77,420).
Museum Assistant Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Museum Assistant
No Diploma0.6%
High School3.1%
Associates2.5%
Bachelors48.4%
Masters40.9%
Doctorate4.4%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
0.6%
High School
3.1%
Associates
2.5%
Bachelors
48.4%
Masters
40.9%
Doctorate
4.4%
view as graph
Museum Assistant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Museum Assistant's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Museum Assistant can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $54,391 in 2023
to around $53,949 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Museum Assistant salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Museum Assistant Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$54,391
2024
$54,221
2025
$53,949
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$54,391
2024
$54,221
2025
$53,949
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Museum Assistant
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Museum Assistant
Here are companies hiring for Museum Assistant and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
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FAQ about Museum Assistant
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Museum Assistant?
The Edu., Gov't. industry offers the highest average compensation for Museum Assistant roles,
with salaries approximately 10% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
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