Curators pay in the U.S.
$71,560avg. a year
$34.40 an hour · 12,150 employed
Curators in the U.S. earn an average of $71,560 a year and a median of $63,420. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($100,420) and lowest in Mississippi ($45,190).
$63,420Median pay
$34.40Average hourly
+16%Avg. pay since 2020
12,150Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for curators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1140 jobs
District of Columbia
$100,420
$48.28 an hour
21,330 jobs
New York
$90,630
$43.57 an hour
31,140 jobs
California
$86,330
$41.51 an hour
4190 jobs
Connecticut
$82,840
$39.83 an hour
570 jobs
Rhode Island
$82,470
$39.65 an hour
6370 jobs
Massachusetts
$81,450
$39.16 an hour
760 jobs
New Hampshire
$79,660
$38.30 an hour
8120 jobs
New Jersey
$77,880
$37.44 an hour
9260 jobs
Washington
$77,370
$37.20 an hour
10300 jobs
Colorado
$76,150
$36.61 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Curators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $61k$61k–$66k$66k–$72k$72k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $99,910 | $48.03 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $98,200 | $47.21 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $93,030 | $44.73 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $88,290 | $42.45 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $85,350 | $41.03 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83,850 | $40.31 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $82,120 | $39.48 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $80,070 | $38.50 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Curators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,510 | $61,120 | 150 |
| Alaska | $71,620 | $63,880 | 90 |
| Arizona | $71,560 | $63,510 | 150 |
| Arkansas | $66,950 | $53,870 | 80 |
| California | $86,330 | $78,740 | 1,140 |
| Colorado | $76,150 | $73,630 | 300 |
| Connecticut | $82,840 | $76,510 | 190 |
| Delaware | $61,790 | $56,800 | 60 |
| District of Columbia | $100,420 | $93,310 | 140 |
| Florida | $67,870 | $59,500 | 420 |
| Georgia | $63,350 | $57,810 | 230 |
| Hawaii | $61,010 | $50,720 | 140 |
| Idaho | $57,930 | $62,190 | 50 |
| Illinois | $68,940 | $63,060 | 410 |
| Indiana | $59,540 | $53,910 | 220 |
| Iowa | $54,750 | $53,830 | 230 |
| Kansas | $61,890 | $56,630 | 120 |
| Kentucky | $59,600 | $55,460 | 130 |
| Louisiana | $65,730 | $60,080 | 160 |
| Maine | $58,570 | $56,470 | 110 |
| Maryland | $71,790 | $63,750 | 170 |
| Massachusetts | $81,450 | $77,790 | 370 |
| Michigan | $69,710 | $63,190 | 360 |
| Minnesota | $58,960 | $53,920 | 220 |
| Mississippi | $45,190 | $40,600 | 30 |
| Missouri | $67,130 | $59,960 | 260 |
| Montana | $55,260 | $54,460 | 100 |
| Nebraska | $61,750 | $58,600 | 120 |
| Nevada | $69,380 | $69,900 | 100 |
| New Hampshire | $79,660 | $82,490 | 60 |
| New Jersey | $77,880 | $77,800 | 120 |
| New Mexico | $62,670 | $63,690 | 140 |
| New York | $90,630 | $79,120 | 1,330 |
| North Carolina | $57,490 | $49,470 | 600 |
| Ohio | $69,920 | $63,640 | 370 |
| Oklahoma | $63,770 | $60,560 | 150 |
| Oregon | $65,700 | $62,790 | 260 |
| Pennsylvania | $69,310 | $62,100 | 520 |
| Rhode Island | $82,470 | $77,930 | 70 |
| South Carolina | $55,640 | $47,200 | 120 |
| South Dakota | $74,800 | $74,990 | 50 |
| Tennessee | $61,280 | $57,580 | 190 |
| Texas | $64,880 | $59,990 | 690 |
| Utah | $62,460 | $59,910 | 50 |
| Vermont | $58,040 | $56,520 | 60 |
| Virginia | $65,990 | $58,200 | 450 |
| Washington | $77,370 | $74,030 | 260 |
| Wisconsin | $70,980 | $64,370 | 300 |
| Wyoming | $60,430 | $61,910 | 90 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$99,910
970 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$85,350
390 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$72,030
290 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$72,390
290 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$93,030
270 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$98,200
240 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$83,850
220 jobsDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$80,070
180 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do curators make?
The average is $71,560 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $63,420 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $34.40, and the median is $30.49 an hour.
Which state pays curators the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $100,420 a year. The best-paying metro area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $99,910.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $40,470 a year, and the top 10% earn over $107,140.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 25-4012. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.