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Assistant curator salary
Average assistant curator salary
$47,498
Understanding the Assistant Curator Salary
The average salary for an Assistant Curator stands at approximately $47,498 per year, with variations based on factors such as geographic location and years of experience. Salaries can range significantly, influenced by the institution's size, funding, and the curator's specific duties. For instance, urban centers often present higher pay scales due to living costs and institutional budgets.
Salary Insights by State
Among the states, those like California and New York typically offer the highest salaries for assistant curators, reflecting their vibrant cultural scenes and numerous institutions. Conversely, states with fewer cultural institutions may present lower average salaries. Understanding these disparities is crucial for job seekers aiming to negotiate their compensation effectively.
Career Growth Opportunities
As the role of curators evolves with technological advancements in museum management and digital curation, those in this career can expect to see shifts in salary trends. Gaining additional qualifications or specializing in specific areas can enhance earning potential and open doors to higher positions within the field.
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Where can an Assistant Curator earn more?
Assistant curator salary estimates from across the web
Average assistant curator salary by state
The average assistant curator salary in Alaska, Connecticut, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average assistant curator salary states are Louisiana, Arkansas, and North Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for assistant curators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $65,012 | $31.26 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $60,191 | $28.94 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $57,026 | $27.42 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $61,745 | $29.69 |
| 5 | Virginia | $56,658 | $27.24 |
| 6 | Delaware | $61,241 | $29.44 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $60,435 | $29.06 |
| 8 | California | $56,510 | $27.17 |
| 9 | Maine | $50,220 | $24.14 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $52,128 | $25.06 |
| 11 | Texas | $51,425 | $24.72 |
| 12 | Ohio | $51,149 | $24.59 |
| 13 | Nevada | $53,629 | $25.78 |
| 14 | New York | $54,587 | $26.24 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $51,865 | $24.94 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $50,576 | $24.32 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $46,206 | $22.21 |
| 18 | Oregon | $49,780 | $23.93 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $49,769 | $23.93 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $47,902 | $23.03 |
| 21 | Arizona | $49,923 | $24.00 |
| 22 | Maryland | $48,647 | $23.39 |
| 23 | Indiana | $47,593 | $22.88 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $45,215 | $21.74 |
| 25 | Massachusetts | $48,105 | $23.13 |
| 26 | Vermont | $47,694 | $22.93 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $42,926 | $20.64 |
| 28 | Washington | $45,439 | $21.85 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $44,042 | $21.17 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $43,742 | $21.03 |
| 31 | Illinois | $42,779 | $20.57 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $46,781 | $22.49 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $42,767 | $20.56 |
| 34 | Utah | $43,122 | $20.73 |
| 35 | Michigan | $41,930 | $20.16 |
| 36 | Kansas | $41,976 | $20.18 |
| 37 | Georgia | $42,663 | $20.51 |
| 38 | Alabama | $38,493 | $18.51 |
| 39 | Colorado | $41,764 | $20.08 |
| 40 | Iowa | $40,610 | $19.52 |
| 41 | Idaho | $41,988 | $20.19 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $39,757 | $19.11 |
| 43 | Florida | $40,026 | $19.24 |
| 44 | Missouri | $38,441 | $18.48 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $32,254 | $15.51 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $36,819 | $17.70 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $37,589 | $18.07 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $37,315 | $17.94 |
| 49 | Montana | $38,165 | $18.35 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $33,102 | $15.91 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $35,343 | $16.99 |
Highest paying cities for assistant curators
The highest-paying cities for assistant curators are New Haven, CT, Washington, DC, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven, CT | $61,782 | $29.70 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $60,105 | $28.90 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $58,735 | $28.24 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $54,643 | $26.27 |
| 5 | Cleveland, OH | $54,326 | $26.12 |
| 6 | Las Vegas, NV | $54,057 | $25.99 |
| 7 | Houston, TX | $51,649 | $24.83 |
| 8 | Milwaukee, WI | $50,560 | $24.31 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $50,161 | $24.12 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $49,060 | $23.59 |
| 11 | Minneapolis, MN | $47,879 | $23.02 |
| 12 | Boston, MA | $47,829 | $22.99 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $43,151 | $20.75 |
| 14 | Hattiesburg, MS | $43,111 | $20.73 |
| 15 | Albuquerque, NM | $42,786 | $20.57 |
| 16 | Sarasota, FL | $41,645 | $20.02 |
| 17 | Denver, CO | $41,629 | $20.01 |
| 18 | Ann Arbor, MI | $41,550 | $19.98 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $39,004 | $18.75 |
| 20 | New Orleans, LA | $37,542 | $18.05 |
Assistant curator salary details
An assistant curator's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $86,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an assistant curator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
| 75th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| Average | $47,498 | $3,958 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying assistant curator jobs
The highest paying types of assistant curators are museum director, director of exhibits, and ancient art curator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Museum Curator | $44,309 | $3,692 | $21.30 | 413 |
| Curator | $47,923 | $3,994 | $23.04 | 432 |
Top companies hiring assistant curators now:
Which companies pay assistant curators the most?
Assistant curator salaries at The Art Institute of Chicago and The Metropolitan Museum of Art are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average assistant curator salary at companies like Smithsonian Institution and Yale University are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Art Institute of Chicago | $103,585 | $49.80 |
| 2 | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | $88,044 | $42.33 |
| 3 | Smithsonian Institution | $82,202 | $39.52 |
| 4 | Yale University | $78,525 | $37.75 |
| 5 | American Numismatic Association | $77,051 | $37.04 |
| 6 | Princeton University | $73,688 | $35.43 |
| 7 | The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | $70,653 | $33.97 |
| 8 | Walker Art Center | $69,768 | $33.54 |
| 9 | Florida State University | $67,288 | $32.35 |
| 10 | California Academy of Sciences | $65,412 | $31.45 |
| 11 | The Morgan Library & Museum | $62,313 | $29.96 |
| 12 | The San Diego Museum of Art | $61,257 | $29.45 |
| 13 | University of Houston | $55,912 | $26.88 |
| 14 | Guggenheim Museum | $53,067 | $25.51 |
| 15 | University of Georgia Small Business Development Center | $52,685 | $25.33 |
| 16 | University of North Carolina | $52,182 | $25.09 |
| 17 | Carnegie Museum of Art | $50,261 | $24.16 |
| 18 | Louis Dreyfus Company | $49,943 | $24.01 |
| 19 | Colorado State Express | $49,943 | $24.01 |
| 20 | Cleveland Museum Of Art | $49,611 | $23.85 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Assistant curator salary trends
The average assistant curator salary has risen by $6,826 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average assistant curator earned $40,672 annually, but today, they earn $47,498 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for assistant curators over the last decade.
Compare assistant curator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average assistant curator salary over time
Compare assistant curator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Assistant curator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $47,500 | $22.84 | +4.2% |
| 2025 | $45,500 | $21.87 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | $44,800 | $21.55 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | $44,800 | $21.55 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | $44,500 | $21.38 | +3.4% |
Recently added assistant curator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audubon Institute | Assistant Curator of Aquatic Husbandry-Audubon Aquatic Center | New Orleans, LA | 06/29/2025 | $55,000 |
| Sfmoma | Assistant Curator of The Art of The African Diaspora | San Francisco, CA | 06/26/2025 | $76,703 |
| Denver Zoo | Assistant Curator-The Preserve | Denver, CO | 06/20/2025 | $66,348 |
| Museum of Fine Arts | Shapiro-Silverberg Assistant Curator of Judaica | Boston, MA | 06/16/2025 | $73,967 |
| Hillwood Museum | Assistant Curator of European Decorative Arts | Washington, DC | 06/11/2025 | $70,000 |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Assistant Curator, American Painting & Drawing | New York, NY | 06/09/2025 | $85,000 |
| Aza | Assistant Curator | Buffalo, NY | 05/22/2025 | $60,410 |
| Sfmoma | Assistant Curator of The Art of The African Diaspora | San Francisco, CA | 05/18/2025 | $76,703 |
| Stanford University | Phyllis Wattis Assistant Curator of Native American ART, Cantor Arts Center | Stanford, CA | 05/15/2025 | $91,337 |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Assistant Curator, American Painting & Drawing | New York, NY | 04/28/2025 | $85,000 |
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