How much do museum curators make? (2023)

Where do museum curators make the most money?

The highest paying companies for museum curators are Smithsonian Institution and Stanford University according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, companies like National Park Foundation and West Virginia University report highly competitive wages for museum curators.

The highest-paid museum jobs are director ($293,988 average annual salary), deputy director ($173,572 average salary), and chief operating officer ($172,772 average salary). A part-time, alternative working schedule is required for a visitor services specialist.

Average British Museum Curator yearly pay in the United Kingdom is approximately £30,706, which meets the national average.

To become a collection manager or a curatorial assistant, a master's degree is required. To become a curator at a national museum, a PhD is required, as is about five years of field experience. The market is competitive, and academic standards are very high.

Overall employment of archivists, curators, and museum workers is projected to grow 12 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Most large and renowned museums require their curators to have a master's degree in a related field. Some national museums require a minimum of a doctorate in a related field. You can pursue a master's or doctorate in fields like history, museum studies, or archeology.

Since a museum curator usually oversees administrative and business duties, a master's degree is usually necessary.

Curators tend not to find their jobs stressful, which likely contributes positively to career satisfaction.

What does a curator do in a day?

Curators are in charge of a collection of exhibits in a museum or art gallery. Their job is to build up collections, often in specialist areas. Curators develop ways in which objects, archives and artworks can be interpreted, through exhibitions, publications, events and audio-visual presentations.

How much does a Museum Curator - Higher Ed. make in California? The average Museum Curator - Higher Ed. salary in California is $70,538 as of October 27, 2022, but the range typically falls between $60,199 and $84,665.

Most museums require curators to have a master's degree in an appropriate discipline of the museum's specialty—art, history, science, or archaeology—or in museum studies. Some employers prefer that curators have a doctoral degree, particularly for positions in natural history or science museums.

What is the career outlook? Employment of curators is projected to grow 19 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations. Continued public interest in museums and other cultural centers should also lead to increased demand for curators and for the collections they manage.

The eligibility to become a Curator is to be a holder of a Bachelor's or Master's degree in courses like BA Courses, BA in Ancient History, MA Archaeology etc. that will help the individual to gain thorough knowledge and skills to become a successful Curator in future.

Museum Curators make the most in San Francisco, CA at $117,271, averaging total compensation 49% greater than the US average.

$74,040. The estimated total pay for a Curator at Moma is $74,040 per year.

Competition for curator positions will continue to be extremely competitive, as the field has a low turnover rate and there are generally more qualified applicants on the market than there are available jobs. Art and history museums are expected to remain the largest employers of curators.

Curators typically work full time, and some may work more than 40 hours per week to meet deadlines or to coordinate with other museum staff. They may also travel to attend professional meetings, conferences, and workshops or to conduct research.

How much does a Curator make at Smithsonian Institution in the United States? Average Smithsonian Institution Curator yearly pay in the United States is approximately $106,747, which is 94% above the national average.

How do I get a job as a curator?

Specific responsibilities of a curator vary from one museum to the next but typically include acquiring objects and collections, keeping records and cataloging acquisitions, planning and organizing exhibitions, researching objects and collections, administrative duties such as planning budgets, negotiating loan items, ...

A curator must be very knowledgeable in history, culture, and art in order to complete this. A curator may also give tours and educate the public or train students on varies historical time periods and its artifacts.

As salaried employees, curators typically receive employee benefits such as health, dental and life insurance, pension plans and paid leave. But arguably, the biggest benefit of curator jobs is the opportunity to work with rare and fascinating collections dating back to antiquity.

Despite the stigma surrounding art majors, an art degree can be an excellent opportunity to develop and hone the studio skills necessary to forge a career as a professional artist. Both the environment and length of the program allow students to learn relevant tools and surround themselves with like-minded individuals.

What careers make you millions?

You could work in publishing or advertising as a web designer, graphic designer or photographer. Art-related jobs in TV, film or theatre include set designer, costume designer, make-up artist, lighting technician and lighting designer/director.

Unique jobs are typically those that require special skills, include odd or unusual responsibilities or have different work environments when compared to the average office job. Unique jobs can be found in a variety of industries and they offer an alternative to professionals who want to deviate from the norm.

A Curator enjoys engaging with people on a daily basis— resulting in a much more social (read: fun! well-adjusted!) dating prospect.

Skills needed to be a Curator

Ability to project manage. Understanding of museums (both how they catalogue and working environment) Good research skills (an essential trait) Ability to work in a team.

Formal Qualifications

Primary degrees in areas that relate to museum collections are often good starting points from which to build a museum career. Subjects such as history, art history, archaeology, natural sciences, and anthropology are typical of many employees working in museums.

A curator is someone curious, dynamic and driven by passion for art in all its forms. Although it's expected that we specialise in a particular area, I think it is most rewarding to expand that expertise and see to what extent artistic movements are in constant dialogue with each other over time and place.

How much does The Museum of Modern Art in the United States pay? The average The Museum of Modern Art salary ranges from approximately $39,188 per year for Educator to $316,677 per year for Curator.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $145,500 and as low as $19,000, the majority of Art Curator salaries currently range between $25,000 (25th percentile) to $76,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $129,000 annually across the United States.

Can anyone be a curator?

Curators typically need a master's degree in art history, history, archaeology, or museum studies. Students with internship experience may have an advantage in the competitive job market. In small museums, curator positions may be available to applicants with a bachelor's degree.

A "collections curator", a "museum curator" or a "keeper" of a cultural heritage institution (e.g., gallery, museum, library or archive) is a content specialist charged with an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material including historical artifacts.