Museum director demographics and statistics in the US
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Museum director demographics by:
Museum director gender statistics
59.2% of museum directors are women and 40.8% of museum directors are men.
- Female, 59.2%
- Male, 40.8%
Museum director gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 59.2% |
| Male | 40.8% |
Museum director gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$68,281
Female income
$66,860
Museum director gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in museum director positions over time. Currently, 59.2% of museum directors are female.
Museum director gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 37.72% | 62.28% |
| 2011 | 35.86% | 64.14% |
| 2012 | 33.91% | 66.09% |
| 2013 | 40.64% | 59.36% |
| 2014 | 33.03% | 66.97% |
| 2015 | 34.48% | 65.52% |
| 2016 | 33.43% | 66.57% |
| 2017 | 34.09% | 65.91% |
| 2018 | 37.72% | 62.28% |
| 2019 | 40.78% | 59.22% |
| 2020 | 40.44% | 59.56% |
| 2021 | 40.79% | 59.21% |
Museum director related jobs gender ratio
We compared museum directors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, technician's helper and exhibit technician have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary Librarian | 8% | 92% |
| Children's Librarian | 11% | 89% |
| High School Librarian | 15% | 85% |
| Museum Director | 41% | 59% |
| Art Preparator | 78% | 22% |
| Exhibit Technician | 80% | 20% |
| Technician's Helper | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Museum director demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among museum directors is White, which makes up 77.0% of all museum directors. Comparatively, 7.4% of museum directors are Hispanic or Latino and 5.3% of museum directors are Black or African American.
- White, 77.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.4%
- Black or African American, 5.3%
- Asian, 5.0%
- Unknown, 4.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
Museum director race
| Museum director race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 77.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.4% |
| Black or African American | 5.3% |
| Asian | 5.0% |
| Unknown | 4.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1% |
Museum director race and ethnicity over time
See how museum director racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Museum director race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 80.05% | 6.53% | 3.89% | 7.39% |
| 2011 | 81.13% | 4.77% | 3.03% | 8.19% |
| 2012 | 80.10% | 5.40% | 4.97% | 6.59% |
| 2013 | 78.92% | 6.31% | 5.11% | 6.58% |
| 2014 | 79.00% | 4.58% | 5.67% | 6.97% |
| 2015 | 81.31% | 4.12% | 4.00% | 6.50% |
| 2016 | 79.42% | 5.11% | 4.21% | 8.22% |
| 2017 | 80.15% | 4.38% | 6.02% | 7.37% |
| 2018 | 78.08% | 5.01% | 4.94% | 9.28% |
| 2019 | 80.07% | 4.46% | 4.14% | 8.11% |
| 2020 | 76.65% | 3.82% | 4.16% | 9.76% |
| 2021 | 77.00% | 5.29% | 4.96% | 7.37% |
Museum director wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino museum directors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown museum directors have the lowest average salary at $65,605.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $65,605 |
| White | $69,356 |
| Black or African American | $67,240 |
| Asian | $66,819 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $72,602 |
Average museum director age
See how the average age of museum directors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Museum director age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 38 | |
| White | 47 | 42 |
| Black or African American | 49 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 37.5 | 35.5 |
Museum director age breakdown
The average age of museum directors is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the museum director population.
Museum director age breakdown
| Museum Director Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Museum director educational attainment
The most common degree for museum directors is bachelor's degree, with 68% of museum directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 9%.
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 9%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Museum directors by degree level
| Museum director degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 68% |
| Master's | 17% |
| Associate | 9% |
| Doctorate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Museum director jobs you might like
Museum director wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $83,794 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $71,373 |
Museum director employment statistics
Most museum directors work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where museum directors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where museum directors work.
Museum director jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 15% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 38% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 2% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 5% |
Museum director jobs by company type
Employees with the museum director job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most museum directors prefer to work at education companies over government companies.
Museum director jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 43% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 18% |
| Government | 36% |
Museum director jobs by industry
The most common industries for museum directors are education, government and non profits.
Museum director industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 37% |
| Government | 31% |
| Non Profits | 14% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
Museum director turnover and employment statistics
Museum director unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for museum directors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Museum director unemployment rate by year
| Year | Museum director unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.02% |
| 2011 | 6.47% |
| 2012 | 6.15% |
| 2013 | 4.30% |
| 2014 | 4.48% |
| 2015 | 4.57% |
| 2016 | 4.33% |
| 2017 | 2.58% |
| 2018 | 4.23% |
| 2019 | 2.23% |
| 2020 | 4.71% |
| 2021 | 5.55% |
Average museum director tenure
The average museum director stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 163 museum directors resumes in Zippia's database.
Museum director tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 15% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 18% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 14% |
Museum director LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of museum directors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching & Research Assistant | 6.04% | 48,936 |
| First Grade Teacher | 9.52% | 70,517 |
| Library Manager | 10.75% | 1,739 |
| Museum Director | 12.52% | - |
| Adjunct English Instructor | 12.94% | 38,052 |
| Book Shelver | 13.69% | 186 |
| Instructional Designer | 16.25% | 50,321 |
Similar museum director jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching & Research Assistant | 6.04% | 48,936 |
| First Grade Teacher | 9.52% | 70,517 |
| Library Manager | 10.75% | 1,739 |
| Adjunct English Instructor | 12.94% | 38,052 |
| Book Shelver | 13.69% | 186 |
| Instructional Designer | 16.25% | 50,321 |
Foreign languages spoken by museum directors
The most common foreign language among museum directors is Spanish at 57.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 14.3% and Korean is the third-most popular at 14.3%.
- Spanish, 57.1%
- German, 14.3%
- Korean, 14.3%
- French, 14.3%
Museum director languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 57.1% |
| German | 14.3% |
| Korean | 14.3% |
| French | 14.3% |
