What are the main factors that influence a Curator's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Curator's salary?

A Curator's salary grows with experience: starting around $59,497 for beginners, reaching about $61,116 at mid-level, and approach $66,094 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Curator?

Curator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Curator roles are District of Columbia $70,094, California $69,828, Massachusetts $68,897. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Curator roles make?

Salaries for Curator level roles vary by specialization: Scientific Curator: $79,463; Associate Curator: $71,396; Content Curator: $69,812; Art Curator: $63,424; Chief Curator: $63,291.

How do different companies affect a Curator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Curator roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Curator Salary in the United States

How much does a Curator make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Curator in the United States is $63,307 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

However, a Curator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $81,407
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $55,014 to $72,781
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $47,463

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Curator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$72,781	$6,065	$1,400	$35
Average	$63,307	$5,276	$1,217	$30
25th Percentile	$55,014	$4,584	$1,058	$26

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Key Factors That Influence Curator Salaries

A Curator'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 Curator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Curator'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): $59,497
Early Career (1-2 years): $59,871
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $61,116
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $64,979
Expert (over 8 years): $66,094

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Curator	$59,497
Intermediate Level Curator	$59,871
Senior Level Curator	$61,116
Specialist Level Curator	$64,979
Expert Level Curator	$66,094

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Curator 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 Curators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $70,094.
California: $69,828.
Massachusetts: $68,897.

District of Columbia $70,094 California $69,828 Massachusetts $68,897 Washington $68,644 New Jersey $68,618 Alaska $68,530 Connecticut $67,656 New York $67,302

Hawaii $66,168 Rhode Island $65,637 Maryland $65,276 Minnesota $64,782 Colorado $64,592 Illinois $64,529 Oregon $64,288 Delaware $64,111

New Hampshire $64,000 Virginia $63,750 Pennsylvania $63,022 Nevada $62,655 North Dakota $62,535 Michigan $62,345 Wisconsin $62,275 Vermont $62,136

Texas $61,750 Maine $61,724 Arizona $61,686 Ohio $61,642 Georgia $61,060 Indiana $60,768 Wyoming $60,711 Utah $60,623

Iowa $60,585 Kansas $60,281 Louisiana $60,192 North Carolina $60,161 Missouri $60,148 Florida $59,901 Montana $59,768 Nebraska $59,642

Kentucky $59,572 South Carolina $59,319 Tennessee $59,160 Idaho $59,097 New Mexico $58,635 Oklahoma $58,534 Alabama $58,160 South Dakota $57,533

Arkansas $57,192 West Virginia $57,008 Mississippi $56,457

Top Paying Cities for Curators

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: $79,849
San Francisco: $78,975
Oakland: $77,311

San Jose, CA $79,849

San Francisco, CA $78,975

Oakland, CA $77,311

New York, NY $72,891

Paramus, NJ $72,005

Queens Village, NY $72,002

Passaic, NJ $71,941

Bergenfield, NJ $71,936

Stamford, CT $71,796

Huntington, NY $71,771

Newark, NJ $71,303

Bridgeport, CT $71,169

Vallejo, CA $71,043

New Brunswick, NJ $71,018

Petaluma, CA $70,980

Middlesex, NJ $70,860

Somerset, NJ $70,815

Santa Cruz, CA $70,733

Boston, MA $70,347

Monterey, CA $70,125

Seattle, WA $69,980

Santa Rosa, CA $69,967

Los Angeles, CA $69,948

Juneau, AK $69,783

Washington, DC $69,714

Orange, CA $69,488

Santa Ana, CA $69,321

Long Beach, CA $69,258

Anaheim, CA $69,245

Anchorage, AK $69,214

Santa Maria, CA $69,024

Everett, WA $69,011

Danbury, CT $68,788

Bremerton, WA $68,701

Tacoma, WA $68,473

New Suffolk, NY $68,472

Sacramento, CA $68,454

Santa Barbara, CA $68,384

Trenton, NJ $68,315

San Diego, CA $68,315

Brockton, MA $68,245

Fairbanks, AK $68,090

Lompoc, CA $67,928

Lowell, MA $67,877

Ventura, CA $67,865

Nashua, NH $67,852

Stockton, CA $67,846

Modesto, CA $67,384

Poughkeepsie, NY $67,245

Olympia, WA $67,124

Kennewick, WA $67,124

New Haven, CT $67,099

Lawrence, MA $66,871

Hartford, CT $66,808

Riverside, CA $66,795

New Bedford, MA $66,732

Richland, WA $66,732

Bakersfield, CA $66,643

San Bernardino, CA $66,618

New Britain, CT $66,612

Atlantic City, NJ $66,612

New London, CT $66,586

Norwich, CT $66,567

Portsmouth, NH $66,555

Boulder, CO $66,420

Portland, OR $66,333

Worcester, MA $66,327

Minneapolis, MN $66,130

Philadelphia, PA $66,042

Honolulu, HI $65,833

Saint Paul, MN $65,803

Vineland, NJ $65,789

Providence, RI $65,605

Chicago, IL $65,421

Bellingham, WA $65,345

Springfield, MA $65,295

Baltimore, MD $65,276

Chico, CA $65,118

Pittsfield, MA $64,947

Manchester, NH $64,826

Spokane, WA $64,548

Denver, CO $64,541

Albany, NY $64,244

Troy, NY $64,219

Nassau, NY $64,151

Schenectady, NY $64,086

Wilmington, DE $64,035

Burlington, VT $63,946

Salem, OR $63,921

Portland, ME $63,725

Yakima, WA $63,662

Rochester, MN $63,465

Reno, NV $63,434

Fresno, CA $63,434

Milwaukee, WI $63,377

Detroit, MI $63,313

Ann Arbor, MI $63,303

Allentown, PA $63,294

Colorado Springs, CO $63,187

Syracuse, NY $63,155

Carson City, NV $63,155

Houston, TX $63,066

Eugene, OR $63,035

Gary, IN $62,959

Springfield, OR $62,908

Bismarck, ND $62,896

Galveston, TX $62,851

Medford, OR $62,756

Fort Collins, CO $62,731

Concord, NH $62,699

Austin, TX $62,680

Mesa, AZ $62,547

Reading, PA $62,541

Phoenix, AZ $62,535

Dallas, TX $62,516

Saint Cloud, MN $62,455

Madison, WI $62,370

Utica, NY $62,199

Rochester, NY $62,098

Des Moines, IA $62,092

Raleigh, NC $62,085

Atlanta, GA $61,990

Battle Creek, MI $61,971

Salt Lake City, UT $61,952

Lancaster, PA $61,857

Harrisburg, PA $61,769

Kansas City, MO $61,705

Champaign, IL $61,693

Kansas City, KS $61,693

Fort Worth, TX $61,686

Columbus, OH $61,676

Boca Raton, FL $61,661

Pittsburgh, PA $61,636

Richmond, VA $61,610

Indianapolis, IN $61,598

Cleveland, OH $61,591

Las Vegas, NV $61,515

Cincinnati, OH $61,515

Petersburg, VA $61,420

Huntsville, AL $61,325

Lansing, MI $61,283

Lebanon, PA $61,275

Pueblo, CO $61,269

Appleton, WI $61,250

Buffalo, NY $61,224

Dayton, OH $61,205

Racine, WI $61,193

Charlotte, NC $61,186

Saint Louis, MO $61,167

York, PA $61,129

Elkhart, IN $61,129

Gastonia, NC $61,117

Billings, MT $61,102

Beaumont, TX $61,085

Lorain, OH $61,072

Benton Harbor, MI $61,060

Toledo, OH $61,047

Binghamton, NY $61,015

Rock Hill, SC $61,009

Rockford, IL $60,977

Springfield, IL $60,952

Elyria, OH $60,946

Fargo, ND $60,946

Flagstaff, AZ $60,901

Fort Lauderdale, FL $60,863

Duluth, MN $60,825

Miami, FL $60,825

Cheyenne, WY $60,781

Grand Forks, ND $60,781

Bangor, ME $60,642

Cedar Rapids, IA $60,572

Durham, NC $60,546

Louisville, KY $60,540

Grand Rapids, MI $60,528

Hialeah, FL $60,521

Casper, WY $60,433

Scranton, PA $60,357

New Orleans, LA $60,338

Virginia Beach, VA $60,332

Akron, OH $60,300

Peoria, IL $60,218

Sarasota, FL $60,205

Nashville, TN $60,161

Omaha, NE $60,161

Green Bay, WI $60,161

Baton Rouge, LA $60,129

Charleston, SC $60,116

Jamestown, NY $60,085

Davenport, IA $60,085

Tucson, AZ $60,053

Saint Petersburg, FL $60,015

Tampa, FL $60,002

Evansville, IN $59,964

Port Arthur, TX $59,964

Bradenton, FL $59,939

Santa Fe, NM $59,825

Orlando, FL $59,711

Clearwater, FL $59,692

Canton, OH $59,559

La Crosse, WI $59,559

Albuquerque, NM $59,521

Newport News, VA $59,515

High Point, NC $59,496

Ogden, UT $59,471

Corpus Christi, TX $59,420

Norfolk, VA $59,382

Laramie, WY $59,382

Rock Island, IL $59,344

Saginaw, MI $59,331

Jacksonville, FL $59,325

Salisbury, NC $59,312

Boise, ID $59,300

Moline, IL $59,268

Fort Myers, FL $59,249

Memphis, TN $59,236

Tulsa, OK $59,205

Waterloo, IA $59,167

Spartanburg, SC $59,103

Lincoln, NE $59,072

Fort Wayne, IN $59,059

Provo, UT $59,053

Cedar Falls, IA $58,977

San Antonio, TX $58,951

Greensboro, NC $58,926

South Bend, IN $58,920

Savannah, GA $58,850

Muskegon, MI $58,825

Birmingham, AL $58,819

Winston Salem, NC $58,788

Lake Charles, LA $58,635

Anderson, IN $58,622

Lexington, KY $58,603

Augusta, GA $58,584

Greenville, SC $58,584

Lima, OH $58,534

Wichita, KS $58,527

Tuscaloosa, AL $58,527

Columbia, SC $58,470

Springfield, OH $58,458

Asheville, NC $58,356

Bloomington, IN $58,312

Knoxville, TN $58,084

Shreveport, LA $58,078

Wilmington, NC $57,996

Roanoke, VA $57,996

Topeka, KS $57,882

Frankfort, KY $57,875

Oklahoma City, OK $57,831

Chillicothe, OH $57,806

Longview, TX $57,799

Melbourne, FL $57,793

Sioux Falls, SD $57,692

Mobile, AL $57,685

Terre Haute, IN $57,660

Altoona, PA $57,622

Amarillo, TX $57,578

Killeen, TX $57,559

Fayetteville, AR $57,508

Chattanooga, TN $57,489

Sioux City, IA $57,432

Idaho Falls, ID $57,419

Lynchburg, VA $57,369

Gainesville, FL $57,287

Portsmouth, OH $57,255

Little Rock, AR $57,242

Lafayette, LA $57,217

Youngstown, OH $57,217

Daytona Beach, FL $57,179

Clarksville, TN $57,173

Pensacola, FL $57,166

Temple, TX $57,162

Hopkinsville, KY $56,976

Erie, PA $56,964

Florence, SC $56,938

Charleston, WV $56,837

Great Falls, MT $56,805

Macon, GA $56,717

Tallahassee, FL $56,710

Fayetteville, NC $56,698

Waco, TX $56,685

Helena, MT $56,641

Pine Bluff, AR $56,617

Vincennes, IN $56,539

Lubbock, TX $56,514

Alamogordo, NM $56,476

Twin Falls, ID $56,419

Rapid City, SD $56,400

Jackson, MS $56,286

Huntington, WV $56,282

Greenville, MS $56,280

Parkersburg, WV $56,215

Montgomery, AL $56,204

Wichita Falls, TX $56,141

Springfield, MO $56,141

Biloxi, MS $56,109

Monroe, LA $56,046

Johnstown, PA $56,001

Sumter, SC $55,976

Columbus, GA $55,970

Pascagoula, MS $55,849

Abilene, TX $55,849

Kingsport, TN $55,685

Albany, GA $55,685

Gulfport, MS $55,666

Alexandria, LA $55,457

Fort Smith, AR $55,299

El Paso, TX $55,128

Las Cruces, NM $54,843

Harlingen, TX $54,682

Pocatello, ID $54,672

Florence, AL $54,590

Brownsville, TX $54,577

Mcallen, TX $54,444

Dothan, AL $54,355

Columbus, MS $53,979

Altus, OK $53,684

Lawton, OK $53,564

Pierre, SD $53,336

What Skills Can Increase a Curator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Initiative (Mentioned in 9.09% Job Postings): Taking decisive action and initiating plans independently to address problems, improve professional life, and achieve goals.
Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 3.03% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
Public Service (Mentioned in 2.02% Job Postings): A public service is any service intended to address specific needs pertaining to the aggregate members of a community. Improving the health of a population as opposed to the private sector.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Initiative	9.09%
Microsoft Office	3.03%
Public Service	2.02%

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 Curator's salary.

Questioning: Can increase your salary by up to 33%.
Digital Media: Can increase your salary by up to 18%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Questioning	$84,198	33%
Digital Media	$74,702	18%
Leadership	$69,005	9%
Personnel Management	$69,005	9%
Program Management	$69,005	9%
Photography	$68,372	8%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Curator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Curators enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree 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 Curator with a Bachelor's Degree is between $62,455 and $68,363).

Curator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Curator

No Diploma 0.6%

High School 0.6%

Associates 0.6%

Bachelors 25.3%

Masters 53.8%

Doctorate 19.6%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.6%
High School	0.6%
Associates	0.6%
Bachelors	25.3%
Masters	53.8%
Doctorate	19.6%

view as graph

Curator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Curator'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.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

$55,014

Average $63,307/year

$72,781

$4,584

Average $5,276/month

$6,065

$1,058

Average $1,217/week

$1,400

$26

Average $30/hour

$35

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$72,781	$6,065	$1,400	$35
Average	$63,307	$5,276	$1,217	$30
25th Percentile	$55,014	$4,584	$1,058	$26

Salaries of jobs related to Curator

Salary Trends for Curator

Salaries for a Curator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $70,352 in 2023 to around $69,220 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Curator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Curator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$70,352

2024

$69,937

2025

$69,220

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$70,352
2024	$69,937
2025	$69,220
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Curator

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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