Average Curators Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Curators is $63,420 per year. The middle 50% earn between $48,870 and $83,080, with 12,150 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 49 states and 81 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Curators pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $40,470
- 25th
- $48,870
- Median
- $63,420
- 75th
- $83,080
- 90th
- $107,140
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Curators earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
Pay varies significantly across workers. Seniority, employer size, and specialization all move the needle, so it is normal for two curators at different points in their careers to earn very different salaries.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for curators from 2024 to 2034. Growth is above the US average of about 4% across all occupations. This is an expanding field.
- Projected growth
- +7.0%
- 1,100 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 1,800
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
A master's degree is the typical entry point, which tends to limit supply and support higher pay.
Where Curators earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where curators work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is District of Columbia at $93,310, about 47.1% above the national median. At the metro level, New Haven, CT leads with a median of $102,110.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $93,310 | 140 |
| New Hampshire | $82,490 | 60 |
| New York | $79,120 | 1,330 |
| California | $78,740 | 1,140 |
| Rhode Island | $77,930 | 70 |
| New Jersey | $77,800 | 120 |
| Massachusetts | $77,790 | 370 |
| Connecticut | $76,510 | 190 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | $102,110 | 70 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $94,740 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $90,800 | 240 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $87,400 | 270 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $84,150 | 70 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $83,110 | 970 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $82,640 | 80 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $82,150 | 60 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see curators pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Curators rose from $54,570 to $63,420, a gain of +16.2% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $54,570 would need to be worth $68,719 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $63,420 is −$5,299 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -7.7% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 16.2% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +16.2%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -7.7%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Curators median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $63,420
- 2024
- $61,770
- 2023
- $61,750
- 2022
- $60,380
- 2021
- $60,110
- 2020
- $56,990
- 2019
- $54,570
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Archivists
- $64,550
- Library Technicians
- $44,580
Common salary questions for Curators
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Curators workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.