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Conservator salary
Average conservator salary
$46,396
Average Conservator Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a conservator in the United States stands at $46,396 annually. This salary translates to approximately $22 per hour. Salaries for conservators can vary significantly based on various factors including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry.
Where Can a Conservator Earn More?
Conservators working in states with a higher cost of living or in specialized industries may command higher salaries. For instance, conservators in California and New York often see salaries that exceed the national average. Additionally, those with advanced degrees or specialized certifications tend to have better earning potential.
Highest Paying Conservator Jobs
The highest paying conservator positions are typically found in large museums, historical societies, and cultural institutions. Roles that focus on the restoration of fine art or rare artifacts often offer the best compensation. Understanding these dynamics can help aspiring conservators make informed career decisions.
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Where can a Conservator earn more?
Conservator salary estimates from across the web
Average conservator salary by state
The highest-paying states for conservators are Connecticut, Delaware, and Alaska. The lowest average conservator salary states are South Dakota, Alabama, and Montana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for conservators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $67,632 | $32.52 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $69,275 | $33.31 |
| 3 | Delaware | $68,538 | $32.95 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $68,764 | $33.06 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $66,934 | $32.18 |
| 6 | New York | $65,847 | $31.66 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $62,314 | $29.96 |
| 8 | Nevada | $59,289 | $28.50 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $60,311 | $29.00 |
| 10 | Maryland | $58,739 | $28.24 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $55,939 | $26.89 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $51,267 | $24.65 |
| 13 | California | $55,520 | $26.69 |
| 14 | Vermont | $51,313 | $24.67 |
| 15 | Michigan | $47,644 | $22.91 |
| 16 | Ohio | $47,280 | $22.73 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $47,285 | $22.73 |
| 18 | Illinois | $46,619 | $22.41 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $45,250 | $21.75 |
| 20 | Iowa | $43,413 | $20.87 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $43,876 | $21.09 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $42,616 | $20.49 |
| 23 | Virginia | $43,371 | $20.85 |
| 24 | Missouri | $42,291 | $20.33 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $41,305 | $19.86 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $41,635 | $20.02 |
| 27 | Texas | $40,685 | $19.56 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $39,193 | $18.84 |
| 29 | Kansas | $40,943 | $19.68 |
| 30 | Utah | $40,077 | $19.27 |
| 31 | Maine | $38,179 | $18.36 |
| 32 | Georgia | $38,917 | $18.71 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $38,379 | $18.45 |
| 34 | Florida | $39,914 | $19.19 |
| 35 | Arizona | $39,183 | $18.84 |
| 36 | Colorado | $39,797 | $19.13 |
| 37 | Oregon | $38,930 | $18.72 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $36,411 | $17.51 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $36,213 | $17.41 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $35,892 | $17.26 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $36,625 | $17.61 |
| 42 | Indiana | $35,809 | $17.22 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $34,376 | $16.53 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $33,570 | $16.14 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $35,561 | $17.10 |
| 46 | Alabama | $33,085 | $15.91 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $33,814 | $16.26 |
| 48 | Washington | $30,900 | $14.86 |
| 49 | Montana | $31,004 | $14.91 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $30,613 | $14.72 |
| 51 | Idaho | $29,582 | $14.22 |
Highest paying cities for conservators
The highest-paying cities for conservators are Anchorage, AK, Washington, DC, and West Haven, CT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage, AK | $69,900 | $33.61 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $69,231 | $33.28 |
| 3 | West Haven, CT | $69,085 | $33.21 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $66,167 | $31.81 |
| 5 | Annapolis, MD | $58,852 | $28.29 |
| 6 | Oakland, CA | $56,729 | $27.27 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $55,609 | $26.74 |
| 8 | Wheeling, WV | $53,830 | $25.88 |
| 9 | Cleveland, OH | $49,993 | $24.04 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $47,974 | $23.06 |
| 11 | Ann Arbor, MI | $47,302 | $22.74 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $47,026 | $22.61 |
| 13 | Arlington, VA | $45,662 | $21.95 |
| 14 | Lincoln, NE | $41,576 | $19.99 |
| 15 | Austin, TX | $41,537 | $19.97 |
| 16 | Santa Fe, NM | $39,568 | $19.02 |
| 17 | Orlando, FL | $39,298 | $18.89 |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | $39,153 | $18.82 |
| 19 | Greenville, NC | $39,025 | $18.76 |
| 20 | Tulsa, OK | $38,876 | $18.69 |
Conservator salary details
A conservator's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $86,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a conservator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| Average | $46,396 | $3,866 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying conservator jobs
The highest paying types of conservators are art conservator, art preparator, and book conservator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Worker | $36,992 | $3,083 | $17.78 | 101,552 |
| Museum Educator | $40,399 | $3,367 | $19.42 | 18,481 |
Which companies pay conservators the most?
Conservator salaries at The Mariners' Museum and Park and The Metropolitan Museum of Art are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average conservator salary at companies like Smithsonian Institution and Yale University are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Mariners' Museum and Park | $89,528 | $43.04 |
| 2 | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | $88,437 | $42.52 |
| 3 | Smithsonian Institution | $79,605 | $38.27 |
| 4 | Yale University | $77,585 | $37.30 |
| 5 | The Museum of Modern Art | $73,668 | $35.42 |
| 6 | Seattle Art Museum | $68,882 | $33.12 |
| 7 | The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | $68,220 | $32.80 |
| 8 | Student Conservation Association | $67,157 | $32.29 |
| 9 | University System of Maryland | $62,612 | $30.10 |
| 10 | Commonwealth | $52,105 | $25.05 |
| 11 | Clemson University | $50,796 | $24.42 |
| 12 | Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr. | $48,663 | $23.40 |
| 13 | Evergreene Architectural Arts, Inc. | $47,897 | $23.03 |
| 14 | Cleveland Museum Of Art | $47,744 | $22.95 |
| 15 | University of Pennsylvania | $47,031 | $22.61 |
| 16 | University Of South Dakota Foundation | $46,687 | $22.45 |
| 17 | University of Michigan | $46,170 | $22.20 |
| 18 | Colorado Outward Bound School | $45,829 | $22.03 |
| 19 | Fine - Art | $44,712 | $21.50 |
| 20 | Americorps | $42,139 | $20.26 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Conservator salary by industry
The average conservator salary varies across industries:
- The average conservator salary in the non profits industry is $69,845, the highest of any industry.
- The average conservator salary in the finance industry is $54,173.
- Conservators in the government industry earn an average salary of $42,141, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for conservators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Non Profits | $69,845 | $33.58 |
| 2 | Education | $54,173 | $26.04 |
| 3 | Professional | $51,961 | $24.98 |
| 4 | Government | $42,141 | $20.26 |
High paying conservator jobs
Conservator salary trends
The average conservator salary has risen by $7,816 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average conservator earned $38,581 annually, but today, they earn $46,396 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for conservators over the last decade.
Compare conservator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average conservator salary over time
Compare conservator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Conservator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $46,400 | $22.31 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $45,100 | $21.68 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $43,700 | $20.99 | +5.5% |
| 2022 | $41,300 | $19.85 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $40,600 | $19.54 | -0.7% |
Recently added conservator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Conservator, Unlv University Libraries [R0147479] | Maryland | 06/19/2025 | $63,900 |
| DHRM | Special Conservator of The Peace | Richmond, VA | 06/18/2025 | $43,827 |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Conservator, Unlv University Libraries [R0147479] | Las Vegas, NV | 06/17/2025 | $63,900 |
| State of Virginia | Special Conservator of The Peace | Richmond, VA | 06/17/2025 | $43,827 |
| Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum | Assistant Preventive and Objects Conservator | Boston, MA | 06/12/2025 | $60,000 |
| Conserv FS | Petroleum Delivery-Conserv FS-Kansasville | Lane, KS | 06/08/2025 | $52,175 |
| Cornell University | Conservator for Special Collections, Cornell University Library | Ithaca, NY | 05/27/2025 | $66,000 |
| Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery | Project Paintings Conservator | San Marino, CA | 05/25/2025 | $75,000 |
| State of Illinois | Conservation/Historic Preser WKR | Bloomington, IL | 05/24/2025 | $40,822 |
| New York University | Conservator, Special Collections | New York, NY | 05/23/2025 | $72,000 |
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