Curator Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of curators to grow 4.9% from 2025 to 2035 (about 700 more jobs), with about 1,600 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $63,420 a year ranks 382nd of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +4.9%
- Openings a year
- 1,600
- Median pay
- $63,420
- Pay rank
- 382nd of 825
Is employment of curators growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of curators to rise 4.9% (about 700 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +1.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 64 educational instruction and library occupations with a projection. That change ranks 245th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 14,200 |
| Employment, 2035 | 14,900 |
| Projected change | +4.9% |
| Openings a year | 1,600 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 14,200 jobs here differ from the 12,150 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 1,600 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 584th most of 830 occupations. About 96% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 70 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for curators rank?
The median of $63,420 a year ranks 382nd of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: master's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archivists | +3.4% | 1,100 | $64,550 |
| Museum Technicians and Conservators | +3.6% | 1,600 | $51,440 |
| Librarians and Media Collections Specialists | +2.6% | 12,600 | $68,270 |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.6% | 400 | $99,650 |
| History Teachers, Postsecondary | 0% | 1,500 | $83,820 |
| Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.7% | 300 | $80,340 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.2% | 8,000 | $78,620 |
| Library Technicians | -6.4% | 10,800 | $44,580 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.