25 Series · SOC 25-4012
Curators Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $63,420
- Median / year
- +2.7%
- 2024→2025
- $107,140
- Top 10% earn
- +7%
- Growth '24–'34
- 12,150
- Estimated US jobs
Curators earn a median of $63,420 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $63,420, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $40,470 (10th percentile) to $107,140 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 12,150 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is District of Columbia ($93,310).
The pay verdict
Curators earn a median of $63,420, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 54% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Educational Instruction and Library, it ranks #52 of 64 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 7% by 2034.
- $63,420
- Median annual wage
- Top 46%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #52 of 64
- in Educational Instruction and Library
- 2.6×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: District of Columbia at $93,310. Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Curators moved from $54,570 in May 2019 to $63,420 in May 2025 (+16.2%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Curators sits -8.2 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Curators (SOC 25-4012) has a national median of $63,420 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $40,470 to $107,140, and the published mean is $71,560. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 12,150 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 49 state or territory areas and 90 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $61,770 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $63,420 in May 2025, a rise of $1,650 (+2.7%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as faster than average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 1,800 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Master's degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Educational Instruction and Library Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. District of Columbia pays the highest state median at $93,310, which is +47% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is New Haven, CT at $102,110. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$63,420
per year
Median Hourly
$30.49/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$71,560
average
Employment
12,150
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Curators pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$63,420 Top 46% higher than 54% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 (this entry) | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$63,420 · 54th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 25-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Curators; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Teaching Assistants,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.5%, Median annual wage $36780
- Elementary School Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2%, Median annual wage $63970
- Secondary School Tea…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $72040
- Middle School Teache…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2%, Median annual wage $64370
- Substitute Teachers,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.6%, Median annual wage $41670
- Preschool Teachers, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $38140
- Self-Enrichment Teac…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $46800
- Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.8%, Median annual wage $65120
- Instructional Coordi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.3%, Median annual wage $77440
- Health Specialties T…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 17.3%, Median annual wage $107310
- Tutors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $43350
- Teaching Assistants,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.1%, Median annual wage $42910
- Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $74260
- Postsecondary Teache…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.8%, Median annual wage $77640
- Librarians and Media…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $68270
- Educational Instruct…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.5%, Median annual wage $50890
- Career/Technical Edu…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.7%, Median annual wage $63820
- Teachers and Instruc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.1%, Median annual wage $66140
- Career/Technical Edu…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.8%, Median annual wage $66270
- Kindergarten Teacher…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $62680
- Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.9%, Median annual wage $66810
- Art, Drama, and Musi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $78620
- Business Teachers, P…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.7%, Median annual wage $99080
- Nursing Instructors …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 16.8%, Median annual wage $80250
- Curators: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7%, Median annual wage $63420
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+7%
Faster than average
Annual Openings
1,800
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+1,100
15,100 (2024) → 16,200 (2034)
Typical Education
Master's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Educational Instruction and Library Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
0.3/100K
Injury Rate
0.8/100
Danger Index
3.4/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Curators roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key 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.
- ▸ Design, organize, or conduct tours, workshops, and instructional or educational sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and materials.
- ▸ Attend meetings, conventions, and civic events to promote use of institution's services, to seek financing, and to maintain community alliances.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Curators pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $51,520 |
| 2016 | $53,360 |
| 2017 | $53,770 |
| 2018 | $53,780 |
| 2019 | $54,570 |
| 2020 | $56,990 |
| 2021 | $60,110 |
| 2022 | $60,380 |
| 2023 | $61,750 |
| 2024 | $61,770 |
| 2025 | $63,420 |
2015 median
$51,520
2025 median
$63,420
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$8,850 (+16.2%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+2.5%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $51,520 | First banked release | 11,870 |
| May 2016 | $53,360 | +3.6% | 11,170 |
| May 2017 | $53,770 | +0.8% | 11,550 |
| May 2018 | $53,780 | +0.0% | 12,280 |
| May 2019 | $54,570 | Classification break | 12,890 |
| May 2020 | $56,990 | +4.4% | 11,750 |
| May 2021 | $60,110 | +5.5% | 11,030 |
| May 2022 | $60,380 | +0.4% | 11,620 |
| May 2023 | $61,750 | +2.3% | 12,510 |
| May 2024 | $61,770 | +0.0% | 12,280 |
| May 2025 | $63,420 | +2.7% | 12,150 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $51,520 in May 2015 to $63,420 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.5% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 12,890 in May 2019 to 12,150 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 49 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $93,310 | +47% above national |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $82,490 | +30% above national |
| 3 | New York | $79,120 | +25% above national |
| 4 | California | $78,740 | +24% above national |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $77,930 | +23% above national |
| 6 | New Jersey | $77,800 | +23% above national |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $77,790 | +23% above national |
| 8 | Connecticut | $76,510 | +21% above national |
| 9 | South Dakota | $74,990 | +18% above national |
| 10 | Washington | $74,030 | +17% above national |
| 11 | Colorado | $73,630 | +16% above national |
| 12 | Nevada | $69,900 | +10% above national |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $64,370 | +1% above national |
| 14 | Alaska | $63,880 | +1% above national |
| 15 | Maryland | $63,750 | +1% above national |
| 16 | New Mexico | $63,690 | same as national |
| 17 | Ohio | $63,640 | same as national |
| 18 | Arizona | $63,510 | same as national |
| 19 | Michigan | $63,190 | same as national |
| 20 | Illinois | $63,060 | 1% below national |
| 21 | Oregon | $62,790 | 1% below national |
| 22 | Idaho | $62,190 | 2% below national |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $62,100 | 2% below national |
| 24 | Wyoming | $61,910 | 2% below national |
| 25 | Alabama | $61,120 | 4% below national |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $60,560 | 5% below national |
| 27 | Louisiana | $60,080 | 5% below national |
| 28 | Texas | $59,990 | 5% below national |
| 29 | Missouri | $59,960 | 5% below national |
| 30 | Utah | $59,910 | 6% below national |
| 31 | Florida | $59,500 | 6% below national |
| 32 | Nebraska | $58,600 | 8% below national |
| 33 | Virginia | $58,200 | 8% below national |
| 34 | Georgia | $57,810 | 9% below national |
| 35 | Tennessee | $57,580 | 9% below national |
| 36 | Delaware | $56,800 | 10% below national |
| 37 | Kansas | $56,630 | 11% below national |
| 38 | Vermont | $56,520 | 11% below national |
| 39 | Maine | $56,470 | 11% below national |
| 40 | Kentucky | $55,460 | 13% below national |
| 41 | Montana | $54,460 | 14% below national |
| 42 | Minnesota | $53,920 | 15% below national |
| 43 | Indiana | $53,910 | 15% below national |
| 44 | Arkansas | $53,870 | 15% below national |
| 45 | Iowa | $53,830 | 15% below national |
| 46 | Hawaii | $50,720 | 20% below national |
| 47 | North Carolina | $49,470 | 22% below national |
| 48 | South Carolina | $47,200 | 26% below national |
| 49 | Mississippi | $40,600 | 36% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 81 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven, CT | $102,110 | +61% above national |
| 2 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $94,740 | +49% above national |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $90,800 | +43% above national |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $87,400 | +38% above national |
| 5 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $84,150 | +33% above national |
| 6 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $83,110 | +31% above national |
| 7 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $82,640 | +30% above national |
| 8 | Ann Arbor, MI | $82,150 | +30% above national |
| 9 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $79,380 | +25% above national |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $78,720 | +24% above national |
| 11 | Worcester, MA | $78,450 | +24% above national |
| 12 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $78,420 | +24% above national |
| 13 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $78,340 | +24% above national |
| 14 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $77,700 | +23% above national |
| 15 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $77,670 | +22% above national |
| 16 | Omaha, NE-IA | $77,460 | +22% above national |
| 17 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,160 | +22% above national |
| 18 | Toledo, OH | $76,910 | +21% above national |
| 19 | Pittsfield, MA | $76,850 | +21% above national |
| 20 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $75,800 | +20% above national |
| 21 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $75,260 | +19% above national |
| 22 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $74,950 | +18% above national |
| 23 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $73,680 | +16% above national |
| 24 | Pittsburgh, PA | $73,330 | +16% above national |
| 25 | Columbus, OH | $72,780 | +15% above national |
| 26 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $72,760 | +15% above national |
| 27 | Cleveland, OH | $71,850 | +13% above national |
| 28 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $71,380 | +13% above national |
| 29 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $70,740 | +12% above national |
| 30 | Birmingham, AL | $69,990 | +10% above national |
| 31 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $69,110 | +9% above national |
| 32 | Madison, WI | $68,060 | +7% above national |
| 33 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $67,300 | +6% above national |
| 34 | Richmond, VA | $66,650 | +5% above national |
| 35 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $66,400 | +5% above national |
| 36 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $66,310 | +5% above national |
| 37 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $66,300 | +5% above national |
| 38 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $65,670 | +4% above national |
| 39 | Santa Fe, NM | $64,520 | +2% above national |
| 40 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $64,060 | +1% above national |
| 41 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $63,860 | +1% above national |
| 42 | Albuquerque, NM | $63,690 | same as national |
| 43 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $63,680 | same as national |
| 44 | Tulsa, OK | $63,620 | same as national |
| 45 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $63,570 | same as national |
| 46 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $63,470 | same as national |
| 47 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $63,190 | same as national |
| 48 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $63,150 | same as national |
| 49 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $63,080 | 1% below national |
| 50 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $63,060 | 1% below national |
| 51 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $62,890 | 1% below national |
| 52 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $61,500 | 3% below national |
| 53 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $61,060 | 4% below national |
| 54 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $60,950 | 4% below national |
| 55 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $60,610 | 4% below national |
| 56 | Oklahoma City, OK | $60,560 | 5% below national |
| 57 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $60,470 | 5% below national |
| 58 | Jacksonville, FL | $60,300 | 5% below national |
| 59 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $60,260 | 5% below national |
| 60 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $60,170 | 5% below national |
| 61 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $59,620 | 6% below national |
| 62 | Tucson, AZ | $59,550 | 6% below national |
| 63 | Rochester, NY | $59,120 | 7% below national |
| 64 | Baton Rouge, LA | $58,520 | 8% below national |
| 65 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $58,510 | 8% below national |
| 66 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $58,200 | 8% below national |
| 67 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $58,190 | 8% below national |
| 68 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $58,000 | 9% below national |
| 69 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $57,290 | 10% below national |
| 70 | Lincoln, NE | $56,820 | 10% below national |
| 71 | Montgomery, AL | $56,720 | 11% below national |
| 72 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $56,410 | 11% below national |
| 73 | Columbia, SC | $56,270 | 11% below national |
| 74 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $55,290 | 13% below national |
| 75 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $55,170 | 13% below national |
| 76 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $53,100 | 16% below national |
| 77 | Lancaster, PA | $49,740 | 22% below national |
| 78 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $49,240 | 22% below national |
| 79 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $48,600 | 23% below national |
| 80 | Wilmington, NC | $48,230 | 24% below national |
| 81 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $47,200 | 26% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 25 (Educational Instruction and Library Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
SOC 25-3011
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC 25-1041
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC 25-1061
Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC 25-1031
Archivists
SOC 25-4011
Showing 5 of 63 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Educational Instruction and Library Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($63,420 here) and reported employment (12,150 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Curators make? ▼
Where does Curators pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Curators the most? ▼
What education do Curators need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Curators? ▼
Is Curators a good career? ▼
How does Curators pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Curators? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Curators pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $83,080/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: District of Columbia leads at $93,310/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.