25 Series · SOC 25-4013
Museum Technicians and Conservators Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $51,440
- Median / year
- $87,530
- Top 10% earn
- +5.4%
- Growth '23–'33
- 12,310
- US workers
Museum Technicians and Conservators earn a median of $51,440 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $51,440, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $33,780 (10th percentile) to $87,530 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 12,310 US workers. Maryland pays the most ($76,900), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Museum Technicians and Conservators earn a median of $51,440, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 37% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Educational Instruction and Library, it ranks #56 of 64 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 5.4% by 2033.
- $51,440
- Median annual wage
- Top 63%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #56 of 64
- in Educational Instruction and Library
- 2.6×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Maryland at $76,900. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Museum Technicians and Conservators (SOC 25-4013) pays a national median of $51,440 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $33,780 at the 10th percentile to $87,530 at the 90th, with a mean of $57,410 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 12,310 Americans work in this occupation across 45 reporting states and 70 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +5.4% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as about average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,900 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.3 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.8 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Maryland pays the highest state median at $76,900, which is +49% above the national figure. The top metro is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $79,230 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$51,440
per year
Median Hourly
$24.73/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$57,410
average
Employment
12,310
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Museum Technicians and Conservators pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$51,440 Bottom 37% higher than 37% 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.
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 Museum Technicians and Conservators; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 25-series occupations with growth data, Museum Technicians and Conservators sits on the faster-growing side at +5.4% growth and $51,440 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+5.4%
About average
Annual Openings
1,900
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
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 Museum Technicians and Conservators roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Install, arrange, assemble, and prepare artifacts for exhibition, ensuring the artifacts' safety, reporting their status and condition, and identifying and correcting any problems with the set up.
- ▸ Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration.
- ▸ Classify and assign registration numbers to artifacts and supervise inventory control.
- ▸ Study object documentation or conduct standard chemical and physical tests to ascertain the object's age, composition, original appearance, need for treatment or restoration, and appropriate preservation method.
- ▸ Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.
- ▸ Photograph objects for documentation.
- ▸ Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair.
- ▸ Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping.
- ▸ Prepare reports on the operation of conservation laboratories, documenting the condition of artifacts, treatment options, and the methods of preservation and repair used.
- ▸ Enter information about museum collections into computer databases.
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
10th Percentile
$33,780
25th Percentile
$41,050
Median
$51,440
75th Percentile
$67,640
90th Percentile
$87,530
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 45 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $76,900 | +49% above national |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $76,110 | +48% above national |
| 3 | New York | $74,550 | +45% above national |
| 4 | Connecticut | $62,030 | +21% above national |
| 5 | California | $61,550 | +20% above national |
| 6 | Alaska | $60,840 | +18% above national |
| 7 | Washington | $59,610 | +16% above national |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $58,530 | +14% above national |
| 9 | Illinois | $56,720 | +10% above national |
| 10 | New Mexico | $56,670 | +10% above national |
| 11 | Nevada | $56,470 | +10% above national |
| 12 | Wyoming | $56,420 | +10% above national |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $55,470 | +8% above national |
| 14 | Florida | $53,460 | +4% above national |
| 15 | Virginia | $52,190 | +1% above national |
| 16 | Colorado | $51,990 | +1% above national |
| 17 | Iowa | $51,740 | +1% above national |
| 18 | Minnesota | $50,140 | 3% below national |
| 19 | Kentucky | $49,940 | 3% below national |
| 20 | Georgia | $49,270 | 4% below national |
| 21 | Missouri | $49,170 | 4% below national |
| 22 | Maine | $48,460 | 6% below national |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $48,090 | 7% below national |
| 24 | Ohio | $47,570 | 8% below national |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $47,150 | 8% below national |
| 26 | Arizona | $46,650 | 9% below national |
| 27 | Indiana | $46,490 | 10% below national |
| 28 | Kansas | $46,320 | 10% below national |
| 29 | Texas | $45,880 | 11% below national |
| 30 | Oregon | $45,820 | 11% below national |
| 31 | Tennessee | $44,710 | 13% below national |
| 32 | New Jersey | $43,780 | 15% below national |
| 33 | Idaho | $43,520 | 15% below national |
| 34 | Montana | $42,390 | 18% below national |
| 35 | Nebraska | $41,960 | 18% below national |
| 36 | Arkansas | $41,280 | 20% below national |
| 37 | Hawaii | $40,170 | 22% below national |
| 38 | North Carolina | $39,290 | 24% below national |
| 39 | Michigan | $39,000 | 24% below national |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $38,840 | 24% below national |
| 41 | Alabama | $38,350 | 25% below national |
| 42 | South Carolina | $38,290 | 26% below national |
| 43 | Delaware | $38,080 | 26% below national |
| 44 | Utah | $35,430 | 31% below national |
| 45 | Louisiana | $32,350 | 37% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 70 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $79,230 | +54% above national |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $77,030 | +50% above national |
| 3 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $75,100 | +46% above national |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $75,020 | +46% above national |
| 5 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $68,960 | +34% above national |
| 6 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $66,620 | +30% above national |
| 7 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $65,310 | +27% above national |
| 8 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $62,290 | +21% above national |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $61,370 | +19% above national |
| 10 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $61,040 | +19% above national |
| 11 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $60,840 | +18% above national |
| 12 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $60,540 | +18% above national |
| 13 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $60,510 | +18% above national |
| 14 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $60,110 | +17% above national |
| 15 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $59,820 | +16% above national |
| 16 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $58,840 | +14% above national |
| 17 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $58,530 | +14% above national |
| 18 | Pittsfield, MA | $57,460 | +12% above national |
| 19 | Santa Fe, NM | $56,670 | +10% above national |
| 20 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $56,590 | +10% above national |
| 21 | Barnstable Town, MA | $55,490 | +8% above national |
| 22 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $54,600 | +6% above national |
| 23 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $54,370 | +6% above national |
| 24 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $54,230 | +5% above national |
| 25 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $53,460 | +4% above national |
| 26 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $52,800 | +3% above national |
| 27 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $52,710 | +2% above national |
| 28 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $52,480 | +2% above national |
| 29 | Richmond, VA | $52,190 | +1% above national |
| 30 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $52,050 | +1% above national |
| 31 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $51,590 | same as national |
| 32 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $51,170 | 1% below national |
| 33 | Rochester, NY | $51,070 | 1% below national |
| 34 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $50,880 | 1% below national |
| 35 | Tulsa, OK | $50,740 | 1% below national |
| 36 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $50,690 | 1% below national |
| 37 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $50,340 | 2% below national |
| 38 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $48,830 | 5% below national |
| 39 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $48,610 | 6% below national |
| 40 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $48,410 | 6% below national |
| 41 | Oklahoma City, OK | $48,050 | 7% below national |
| 42 | Cleveland, OH | $47,810 | 7% below national |
| 43 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $47,580 | 8% below national |
| 44 | Columbus, OH | $47,570 | 8% below national |
| 45 | Worcester, MA | $47,510 | 8% below national |
| 46 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $47,410 | 8% below national |
| 47 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $47,150 | 8% below national |
| 48 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $46,380 | 10% below national |
| 49 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $45,870 | 11% below national |
| 50 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $45,820 | 11% below national |
| 51 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $45,120 | 12% below national |
| 52 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $45,050 | 12% below national |
| 53 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $45,030 | 12% below national |
| 54 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $45,020 | 12% below national |
| 55 | Bozeman, MT | $43,560 | 15% below national |
| 56 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $41,860 | 19% below national |
| 57 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $41,560 | 19% below national |
| 58 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $39,880 | 22% below national |
| 59 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $37,860 | 26% below national |
| 60 | Pittsburgh, PA | $37,520 | 27% below national |
| 61 | Fresno, CA | $37,290 | 28% below national |
| 62 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $37,210 | 28% below national |
| 63 | Colorado Springs, CO | $36,250 | 30% below national |
| 64 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $36,040 | 30% below national |
| 65 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $34,020 | 34% below national |
| 66 | Ann Arbor, MI | $33,780 | 34% below national |
| 67 | Madison, WI | $33,280 | 35% below national |
| 68 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $33,240 | 35% below national |
| 69 | Baton Rouge, LA | $32,350 | 37% below national |
| 70 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $22,660 | 56% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 25 (education) with comparable pay and career paths.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Museum Technicians and Conservators make? ▼
What state pays Museum Technicians and Conservators the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Museum Technicians and Conservators? ▼
How dangerous is being a Museum Technicians and Conservators? ▼
Is Museum Technicians and Conservators a good career? ▼
How does Museum Technicians and Conservators pay vary by state? ▼
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What to do with this data
How to use Museum Technicians and Conservators pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $67,640/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Maryland leads at $76,900/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.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
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.