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Top 15 cities for curators by average salary
| New York, NY | $99,910 |
|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | $99,830 |
| San Francisco, CA | $98,200 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $95,110 |
| Washington, DC | $93,030 |
| Dayton, OH | $91,750 |
| San Diego, CA | $88,290 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $85,350 |
| Sacramento, CA | $84,900 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $84,410 |
| Worcester, MA | $84,290 |
| Boston, MA | $83,850 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $83,080 |
| Seattle, WA | $82,120 |
| Albany, NY | $80,830 |
Map: Curators salary by metro area
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Curators salary by state
Washington, D.C. pays curators the most statewide, $100,420 a year on average. Statewide columns cover every employer in the state; city columns cover the metro areas we publish.
| State | Statewide average | Statewide median | Jobs | Metros | Highest city average | Lowest city average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. | $100,420 | $93,310 | 140 | 1 | $93,030 | $93,030 |
| New York | $90,630 | $79,120 | 1,330 | 5 | $99,910 | $64,760 |
| California | $86,330 | $78,740 | 1,140 | 6 | $98,200 | $72,660 |
| Connecticut | $82,840 | $76,510 | 190 | 3 | $99,830 | $73,110 |
| Rhode Island | $82,470 | $77,930 | 70 | 1 | $80,410 | $80,410 |
| Massachusetts | $81,450 | $77,790 | 370 | 4 | $84,290 | $79,180 |
| New Hampshire | $79,660 | $82,490 | 60 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| New Jersey | $77,880 | $77,800 | 120 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Washington | $77,370 | $74,030 | 260 | 1 | $82,120 | $82,120 |
| Colorado | $76,150 | $73,630 | 300 | 1 | $80,070 | $80,070 |
| South Dakota | $74,800 | $74,990 | 50 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Maryland | $71,790 | $63,750 | 170 | 1 | $66,960 | $66,960 |
| Alaska | $71,620 | $63,880 | 90 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Arizona | $71,560 | $63,510 | 150 | 2 | $80,810 | $65,410 |
| Wisconsin | $70,980 | $64,370 | 300 | 2 | $76,060 | $70,890 |
| Ohio | $69,920 | $63,640 | 370 | 5 | $91,750 | $70,040 |
| Michigan | $69,710 | $63,190 | 360 | 3 | $95,110 | $64,730 |
| Nevada | $69,380 | $69,900 | 100 | 1 | $67,110 | $67,110 |
| Pennsylvania | $69,310 | $62,100 | 520 | 4 | $72,390 | $60,230 |
| Illinois | $68,940 | $63,060 | 410 | 1 | $72,030 | $72,030 |
| Florida | $67,870 | $59,500 | 420 | 4 | $83,080 | $66,650 |
| Missouri | $67,130 | $59,960 | 260 | 2 | $70,330 | $70,150 |
| Arkansas | $66,950 | $53,870 | 80 | 1 | $84,410 | $84,410 |
| Virginia | $65,990 | $58,200 | 450 | 2 | $74,460 | $60,650 |
| Louisiana | $65,730 | $60,080 | 160 | 2 | $73,220 | $57,480 |
| Oregon | $65,700 | $62,790 | 260 | 1 | $70,810 | $70,810 |
| Texas | $64,880 | $59,990 | 690 | 4 | $72,610 | $64,170 |
| Alabama | $64,510 | $61,120 | 150 | 2 | $77,880 | $61,410 |
| Oklahoma | $63,770 | $60,560 | 150 | 2 | $66,920 | $65,730 |
| Georgia | $63,350 | $57,810 | 230 | 1 | $67,420 | $67,420 |
| New Mexico | $62,670 | $63,690 | 140 | 2 | $65,090 | $62,350 |
| Utah | $62,460 | $59,910 | 50 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Kansas | $61,890 | $56,630 | 120 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Delaware | $61,790 | $56,800 | 60 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Nebraska | $61,750 | $58,600 | 120 | 2 | $77,430 | $61,150 |
| Tennessee | $61,280 | $57,580 | 190 | 2 | $68,000 | $61,790 |
| Hawaii | $61,010 | $50,720 | 140 | 1 | $62,380 | $62,380 |
| Wyoming | $60,430 | $61,910 | 90 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Kentucky | $59,600 | $55,460 | 130 | 1 | $62,290 | $62,290 |
| Indiana | $59,540 | $53,910 | 220 | 1 | $66,220 | $66,220 |
| Minnesota | $58,960 | $53,920 | 220 | 1 | $70,080 | $70,080 |
| Maine | $58,570 | $56,470 | 110 | 1 | $61,090 | $61,090 |
| Vermont | $58,040 | $56,520 | 60 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Idaho | $57,930 | $62,190 | 50 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| North Carolina | $57,490 | $49,470 | 600 | 5 | $63,090 | $53,050 |
| South Carolina | $55,640 | $47,200 | 120 | 2 | $56,350 | $56,150 |
| Montana | $55,260 | $54,460 | 100 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Iowa | $54,750 | $53,830 | 230 | 1 | $59,370 | $59,370 |
| Mississippi | $45,190 | $40,600 | 30 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
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Curators salary in every city we cover
Sort by any column. Each city links to its pay range, take-home pay and cost of living.
| Metro area | Average | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $99,910 | $83,110 | $48.03 | 970 |
| New Haven, CT | $99,830 | $102,110 | $47.99 | 70 |
| San Francisco, CA | $98,200 | $90,800 | $47.21 | 240 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $95,110 | $82,150 | $45.73 | 60 |
| Washington, DC | $93,030 | $87,400 | $44.73 | 270 |
| Dayton, OH | $91,750 | $94,740 | $44.11 | 40 |
| San Diego, CA | $88,290 | $75,800 | $42.45 | 170 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $85,350 | $77,160 | $41.03 | 390 |
| Sacramento, CA | $84,900 | $78,420 | $40.82 | 50 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $84,410 | $58,000 | $40.58 | 40 |
| Worcester, MA | $84,290 | $78,450 | $40.52 | 30 |
| Boston, MA | $83,850 | $78,720 | $40.31 | 220 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $83,080 | $60,300 | $39.94 | 30 |
| Seattle, WA | $82,120 | $78,340 | $39.48 | 150 |
| Albany, NY | $80,830 | $82,640 | $38.86 | 80 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $80,810 | $84,150 | $38.85 | 70 |
| Providence, RI | $80,410 | $77,670 | $38.66 | 90 |
| Denver, CO | $80,070 | $77,700 | $38.50 | 180 |
| Amherst, MA | $80,060 | $79,380 | $38.49 | n/a |
| Pittsfield, MA | $79,180 | $76,850 | $38.07 | 40 |
| Birmingham, AL | $77,880 | $69,990 | $37.44 | 30 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $77,620 | $73,680 | $37.32 | 40 |
| Omaha, NE | $77,430 | $77,460 | $37.23 | 40 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $77,080 | $67,300 | $37.06 | 30 |
| Madison, WI | $76,060 | $68,060 | $36.57 | 80 |
| Cleveland, OH | $75,610 | $71,850 | $36.35 | 100 |
| Riverside, CA | $75,370 | $74,950 | $36.24 | 60 |
| Toledo, OH | $74,820 | $76,910 | $35.97 | 40 |
| Richmond, VA | $74,460 | $66,650 | $35.80 | 80 |
| New Orleans, LA | $73,220 | $60,170 | $35.20 | 90 |
| Hartford, CT | $73,110 | $63,680 | $35.15 | 60 |
| Orlando, FL | $72,910 | $69,110 | $35.05 | 60 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $72,660 | $71,380 | $34.93 | 30 |
| Dallas, TX | $72,610 | $75,260 | $34.91 | 150 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $72,390 | $63,860 | $34.80 | 290 |
| Chicago, IL | $72,030 | $63,060 | $34.63 | 290 |
| Detroit, MI | $71,860 | $66,400 | $34.55 | 120 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $70,890 | $66,310 | $34.08 | 80 |
| Portland, OR | $70,810 | $64,060 | $34.04 | 140 |
| Miami, FL | $70,680 | $60,950 | $33.98 | 120 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $70,580 | $70,740 | $33.93 | 80 |
| Kansas City, MO | $70,330 | $60,260 | $33.81 | 70 |
| St. Louis, MO | $70,150 | $61,500 | $33.72 | 150 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $70,080 | $72,760 | $33.69 | 120 |
| Columbus, OH | $70,040 | $72,780 | $33.67 | 50 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $69,550 | $73,330 | $33.44 | 110 |
| Austin, TX | $69,380 | $63,470 | $33.36 | 100 |
| Nashville, TN | $68,000 | $63,570 | $32.69 | 70 |
| Harrisburg, PA | $67,950 | $63,150 | $32.67 | 50 |
| Atlanta, GA | $67,420 | $61,060 | $32.41 | 150 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $67,110 | $66,300 | $32.26 | 50 |
| Baltimore, MD | $66,960 | $63,080 | $32.19 | 90 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $66,920 | $60,560 | $32.17 | 70 |
| Tampa, FL | $66,650 | $59,620 | $32.04 | 70 |
| Rochester, NY | $66,370 | $59,120 | $31.91 | 70 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $66,220 | $62,890 | $31.84 | 90 |
| Tulsa, OK | $65,730 | $63,620 | $31.60 | 40 |
| Tucson, AZ | $65,410 | $59,550 | $31.45 | 40 |
| San Antonio, TX | $65,210 | $60,470 | $31.35 | 50 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $65,090 | $64,520 | $31.29 | 30 |
| Buffalo, NY | $64,760 | $55,290 | $31.13 | 60 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | $64,730 | $63,190 | $31.12 | 40 |
| Houston, TX | $64,170 | $57,290 | $30.85 | 150 |
| Raleigh, NC | $63,090 | $65,670 | $30.33 | 160 |
| Honolulu, HI | $62,380 | $60,610 | $29.99 | 120 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $62,350 | $63,690 | $29.98 | 60 |
| Louisville, KY | $62,290 | $58,510 | $29.95 | 40 |
| Memphis, TN | $61,790 | $56,410 | $29.71 | 40 |
| Montgomery, AL | $61,410 | $56,720 | $29.52 | 50 |
| Lincoln, NE | $61,150 | $56,820 | $29.40 | 30 |
| Portland, ME | $61,090 | $58,190 | $29.37 | 50 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $60,650 | $58,200 | $29.16 | 150 |
| Lancaster, PA | $60,230 | $49,740 | $28.96 | 30 |
| Greensboro, NC | $59,680 | $55,170 | $28.69 | 60 |
| Des Moines, IA | $59,370 | $48,600 | $28.55 | 40 |
| Charlotte, NC | $58,080 | $53,100 | $27.92 | 50 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $57,480 | $58,520 | $27.64 | 30 |
| Durham, NC | $57,390 | $49,240 | $27.59 | 80 |
| Charleston, SC | $56,350 | $47,200 | $27.09 | 30 |
| Columbia, SC | $56,150 | $56,270 | $27.00 | 30 |
| Wilmington, NC | $53,050 | $48,230 | $25.51 | 40 |
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Curators salary: questions
Where do curators make the most money?
In New York, NY, with an average of $99,910 a year, among the 81 metro areas we cover.
What is the average curators salary in the U.S.?
$71,560 a year nationwide (BLS OEWS national estimates, May 2025); the median is $63,420, so half of curators earn more than that and half less.
What salary should curators ask for?
Start from the figures for your city: the middle half of curators nationwide earn between $48,870 (25th percentile) and $83,080 (75th percentile). Newer workers usually start near the 25th percentile and experienced ones can ask for the 75th; each city page shows the local range. See how to read salary percentiles.
Which state pays curators the most?
Washington, D.C., with a statewide average of $100,420 a year (BLS state estimates, May 2025).
Where is curators pay the lowest?
Wilmington, NC, at $53,050 a year on average. Lower pay often comes with lower prices: check the cost of living on each city page.
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 25-4012.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.