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

A Chief Curator's salary grows with experience: starting around $60,732 for beginners, reaching about $62,377 at mid-level, and approach $67,446 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Chief Curator?

Chief Curator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Chief Curator roles are District of Columbia $70,044, California $69,778, Massachusetts $68,848. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Chief Curator roles make?

Salaries for Chief Curator level roles vary by specialization: Scientific Curator: $79,448; Associate Curator: $71,393; Content Curator: $69,769; Art Curator: $63,311; Curator: $63,274.

How do different companies affect a Chief Curator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Chief 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.

Chief Curator Salary in the United States

How much does a Chief Curator make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Chief Curator in the United States is $63,262 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $80,213
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,154 to $72,135
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $45,861

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Chief Curator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$72,135	$6,011	$1,387	$35
Average	$63,262	$5,272	$1,217	$30
25th Percentile	$54,154	$4,513	$1,041	$26

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Key Factors That Influence Chief Curator Salaries

A Chief 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 Chief Curator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Chief 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): $60,732
Early Career (1-2 years): $61,112
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $62,377
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $66,310
Expert (over 8 years): $67,446

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Chief Curator	$60,732
Intermediate Level Chief Curator	$61,112
Senior Level Chief Curator	$62,377
Specialist Level Chief Curator	$66,310
Expert Level Chief Curator	$67,446

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What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $70,044.
California: $69,778.
Massachusetts: $68,848.

District of Columbia $70,044

California $69,778

Massachusetts $68,848

Washington $68,595

New Jersey $68,570

Alaska $68,481

Connecticut $67,608

New York $67,254

Hawaii $66,122

Rhode Island $65,590

Maryland $65,230

Minnesota $64,736

Colorado $64,546

Illinois $64,483

Oregon $64,243

Delaware $64,066

New Hampshire $63,954

Virginia $63,705

Pennsylvania $62,977

Nevada $62,611

North Dakota $62,490

Michigan $62,301

Wisconsin $62,231

Vermont $62,092

Texas $61,706

Maine $61,681

Arizona $61,643

Ohio $61,598

Georgia $61,016

Indiana $60,725

Wyoming $60,668

Utah $60,580

Iowa $60,542

Kansas $60,238

Louisiana $60,150

North Carolina $60,118

Missouri $60,105

Florida $59,859

Montana $59,726

Nebraska $59,599

Kentucky $59,530

South Carolina $59,277

Tennessee $59,118

Idaho $59,055

New Mexico $58,593

Oklahoma $58,492

Alabama $58,119

South Dakota $57,493

Arkansas $57,151

West Virginia $56,968

Mississippi $56,417

Top Paying Cities for Chief 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: $79,792
San Francisco: $79,008
Oakland: $77,256

San Jose, CA $79,792

San Francisco, CA $79,008

Oakland, CA $77,256

New York, NY $73,314

Queens Village, NY $72,840

Paramus, NJ $72,334

Passaic, NJ $72,271

Bergenfield, NJ $72,207

Stamford, CT $72,112

Huntington, NY $72,049

Newark, NJ $71,638

Bridgeport, CT $71,511

New Brunswick, NJ $71,303

Vallejo, CA $71,170

Middlesex, NJ $71,132

Somerset, NJ $71,075

Petaluma, CA $70,929

Santa Cruz, CA $70,683

Boston, MA $70,556

Monterey, CA $70,240

Fairbanks, AK $70,196

Los Angeles, CA $70,075

Washington, DC $70,044

Seattle, WA $69,930

Santa Rosa, CA $69,917

Juneau, AK $69,734

Orange, CA $69,525

Anchorage, AK $69,411

Anaheim, CA $69,367

Santa Ana, CA $69,272

Nassau, NY $69,234

Long Beach, CA $69,209

Danbury, CT $69,190

Santa Maria, CA $68,975

Everett, WA $68,962

Bremerton, WA $68,652

Trenton, NJ $68,532

Sacramento, CA $68,507

San Diego, CA $68,475

Brockton, MA $68,450

Tacoma, WA $68,424

Santa Barbara, CA $68,336

Lowell, MA $68,083

New Suffolk, NY $68,057

Nashua, NH $67,981

Lompoc, CA $67,880

Ventura, CA $67,817

Stockton, CA $67,798

New Haven, CT $67,671

Atlantic City, NJ $67,507

Hartford, CT $67,368

Modesto, CA $67,336

Poughkeepsie, NY $67,197

New Britain, CT $67,165

Olympia, WA $67,077

Kennewick, WA $67,077

New London, CT $67,064

Norwich, CT $67,045

Lawrence, MA $67,014

Bakersfield, CA $66,836

Riverside, CA $66,748

New Bedford, MA $66,748

Richland, WA $66,685

Portsmouth, NH $66,634

Vineland, NJ $66,621

San Bernardino, CA $66,571

Boulder, CO $66,394

Worcester, MA $66,343

Portland, OR $66,286

Saint Paul, MN $66,210

Minneapolis, MN $66,210

Philadelphia, PA $66,122

Honolulu, HI $65,786

Springfield, MA $65,565

Providence, RI $65,559

Chicago, IL $65,375

Bellingham, WA $65,299

Baltimore, MD $65,230

Chico, CA $65,071

Wilmington, DE $64,964

Pittsfield, MA $64,901

Manchester, NH $64,780

Spokane, WA $64,502

Denver, CO $64,496

Albany, NY $64,198

Troy, NY $64,173

Schenectady, NY $64,040

Burlington, VT $63,901

Portland, ME $63,680

Salem, OR $63,629

Yakima, WA $63,616

Ann Arbor, MI $63,597

Rochester, MN $63,420

Fresno, CA $63,389

Reno, NV $63,389

Milwaukee, WI $63,332

Detroit, MI $63,268

Allentown, PA $63,249

Carson City, NV $63,243

Houston, TX $63,148

Colorado Springs, CO $63,142

Syracuse, NY $63,110

Eugene, OR $62,990

Bismarck, ND $62,914

Gary, IN $62,914

Galveston, TX $62,914

Springfield, OR $62,864

Medford, OR $62,712

Fort Collins, CO $62,686

Austin, TX $62,636

Mesa, AZ $62,503

Phoenix, AZ $62,490

Dallas, TX $62,471

Reading, PA $62,433

Saint Cloud, MN $62,408

Concord, NH $62,351

Madison, WI $62,326

Utica, NY $62,155

Raleigh, NC $62,104

Las Vegas, NV $62,098

Rochester, NY $62,054

Des Moines, IA $62,047

Atlanta, GA $61,946

Battle Creek, MI $61,927

Salt Lake City, UT $61,908

Lancaster, PA $61,813

Champaign, IL $61,801

Harrisburg, PA $61,725

Durham, NC $61,668

Kansas City, MO $61,662

Kansas City, KS $61,649

Fort Worth, TX $61,643

Boca Raton, FL $61,617

Cleveland, OH $61,611

Columbus, OH $61,598

Pittsburgh, PA $61,592

Richmond, VA $61,567

Indianapolis, IN $61,554

Cincinnati, OH $61,472

Petersburg, VA $61,377

Billings, MT $61,238

Lansing, MI $61,238

Huntsville, AL $61,238

Lebanon, PA $61,231

Dayton, OH $61,225

Pueblo, CO $61,225

Appleton, WI $61,206

Buffalo, NY $61,181

Racine, WI $61,149

Charlotte, NC $61,143

Saint Louis, MO $61,124

Springfield, IL $61,099

Elkhart, IN $61,086

York, PA $61,086

Gastonia, NC $61,080

Benton Harbor, MI $61,080

Beaumont, TX $61,042

Lorain, OH $61,029

Toledo, OH $61,004

Binghamton, NY $60,972

Rock Hill, SC $60,966

Rockford, IL $60,934

Fargo, ND $60,902

Elyria, OH $60,902

Flagstaff, AZ $60,858

Fort Lauderdale, FL $60,820

Miami, FL $60,782

Duluth, MN $60,681

Bangor, ME $60,599

Cedar Rapids, IA $60,529

Louisville, KY $60,498

Grand Rapids, MI $60,485

Hialeah, FL $60,479

Casper, WY $60,390

Scranton, PA $60,314

New Orleans, LA $60,295

Virginia Beach, VA $60,289

Akron, OH $60,257

Peoria, IL $60,175

Sarasota, FL $60,162

Green Bay, WI $60,118

Baton Rouge, LA $60,086

Charleston, SC $60,074

Nashville, TN $60,055

Jamestown, NY $60,042

Davenport, IA $60,042

Tucson, AZ $60,010

Cheyenne, WY $59,991

Saint Petersburg, FL $59,972

Tampa, FL $59,960

Omaha, NE $59,947

Port Arthur, TX $59,922

Evansville, IN $59,922

Bradenton, FL $59,897

Santa Fe, NM $59,783

Orlando, FL $59,719

Clearwater, FL $59,650

Canton, OH $59,517

La Crosse, WI $59,517

Grand Forks, ND $59,498

Albuquerque, NM $59,479

Tulsa, OK $59,479

Newport News, VA $59,473

High Point, NC $59,454

Ogden, UT $59,428

Corpus Christi, TX $59,378

Laramie, WY $59,340

Norfolk, VA $59,340

Rock Island, IL $59,302

Saginaw, MI $59,289

Jacksonville, FL $59,283

Salisbury, NC $59,270

Memphis, TN $59,258

Moline, IL $59,226

Fort Myers, FL $59,207

Waterloo, IA $59,125

Spartanburg, SC $59,061

Lincoln, NE $59,030

Fort Wayne, IN $59,017

Birmingham, AL $58,948

Cedar Falls, IA $58,935

Provo, UT $58,929

Springfield, OH $58,922

San Antonio, TX $58,910

Greensboro, NC $58,884

South Bend, IN $58,878

Winston Salem, NC $58,872

Boise, ID $58,853

Savannah, GA $58,808

Muskegon, MI $58,695

Lima, OH $58,619

Lake Charles, LA $58,593

Anderson, IN $58,581

Lexington, KY $58,562

Augusta, GA $58,543

Greenville, SC $58,543

Wichita, KS $58,486

Tuscaloosa, AL $58,486

Columbia, SC $58,429

Bloomington, IN $58,271

Roanoke, VA $58,233

Asheville, NC $58,151

Knoxville, TN $58,043

Shreveport, LA $58,037

Wilmington, NC $57,954

Frankfort, KY $57,834

Oklahoma City, OK $57,790

Chillicothe, OH $57,765

Longview, TX $57,758

Topeka, KS $57,739

Mobile, AL $57,644

Terre Haute, IN $57,619

Erie, PA $57,613

Altoona, PA $57,581

Melbourne, FL $57,562

Amarillo, TX $57,537

Killeen, TX $57,518

Fayetteville, AR $57,467

Sioux Falls, SD $57,423

Chattanooga, TN $57,385

Idaho Falls, ID $57,379

Gainesville, FL $57,246

Portsmouth, OH $57,214

Little Rock, AR $57,202

Lynchburg, VA $57,202

Lafayette, LA $57,176

Youngstown, OH $57,176

Temple, TX $57,151

Daytona Beach, FL $57,138

Clarksville, TN $57,132

Pensacola, FL $57,126

Hopkinsville, KY $56,936

Charleston, WV $56,930

Florence, SC $56,898

Sioux City, IA $56,860

Macon, GA $56,677

Tallahassee, FL $56,670

Fayetteville, NC $56,658

Waco, TX $56,645

Wichita Falls, TX $56,645

Pine Bluff, AR $56,620

Vincennes, IN $56,499

Lubbock, TX $56,474

Great Falls, MT $56,436

Alamogordo, NM $56,430

Abilene, TX $56,379

Rapid City, SD $56,297

Monroe, LA $56,297

Albany, GA $56,259

Huntington, WV $56,253

Jackson, MS $56,246

Greenville, MS $56,240

Parkersburg, WV $56,177

Montgomery, AL $56,164

Johnstown, PA $56,151

Springfield, MO $56,101

Biloxi, MS $56,069

Sumter, SC $55,936

Columbus, GA $55,930

Twin Falls, ID $55,892

Pascagoula, MS $55,810

Kingsport, TN $55,645

Gulfport, MS $55,626

Alexandria, LA $55,418

Fort Smith, AR $55,259

El Paso, TX $55,089

Helena, MT $55,006

Las Cruces, NM $54,804

Harlingen, TX $54,627

Pocatello, ID $54,570

Florence, AL $54,551

Brownsville, TX $54,538

Dothan, AL $54,437

Mcallen, TX $54,405

Columbus, MS $53,937

Altus, OK $53,646

Lawton, OK $53,526

Pierre, SD $53,298

What Skills Can Increase a Chief 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 Chief 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	$84,139	33%
Digital Media	$74,649	18%
Leadership	$68,956	9%
Personnel Management	$68,956	9%
Program Management	$68,956	9%
Photography	$68,323	8%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Chief Curator's Salary?

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

Chief Curator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Chief 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

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

Understanding how a Chief 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 January 01, 2026

$54,154

Average $63,262/year

$72,135

$4,513

Average $5,272/month

$6,011

$1,041

Average $1,217/week

$1,387

$26

Average $30/hour

$35

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$72,135	$6,011	$1,387	$35
Average	$63,262	$5,272	$1,217	$30
25th Percentile	$54,154	$4,513	$1,041	$26

Salaries of jobs related to Chief Curator

Salary Trends for Chief Curator

Salaries for a Chief Curator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $71,831 in 2023 to around $70,675 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Chief Curator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Chief Curator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$71,831

2024

$71,408

2025

$70,675

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$71,831
2024	$71,408
2025	$70,675
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Chief Curator

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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