Occupations · Educational Instruction and Library
Curators
Administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. May conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 25-4012.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 42% between 2004 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $86,420 | 950 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $78,270 | 450 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $61,140 | 420 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $63,040 | 300 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $80,300 | 280 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $78,510 | 270 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $71,040 | 220 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $90,290 | 210 |
| Raleigh, NC | $52,590 | 170 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $58,640 | 160 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $71,840 | 150 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $83,910 | 150 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Master's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials, including the selection of exhibition themes and designs, and develop or install exhibit materials.
- Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases.
- Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise.
- Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public.
- Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections.
- Study, examine, and test acquisitions to authenticate their origin, composition, history, and to assess their current value.
- Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to ensure that climate and pest control issues are addressed.
- Design, organize, or conduct tours, workshops, and instructional or educational sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and materials.
- Write and review grant proposals, journal articles, institutional reports, and publicity materials.
- Attend meetings, conventions, and civic events to promote use of institution's services, to seek financing, and to maintain community alliances.
- Train and supervise curatorial, fiscal, technical, research, and clerical staff, as well as volunteers or interns.
- Confer with the board of directors to formulate and interpret policies, to determine budget requirements, and to plan overall operations.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2018-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2018-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
Get this as a personal report
The same sourced evidence, recut for the closest published view of your city, state or industry, as a dated PDF.
Free page vs. the $29 report
The page above is a public national reference: it is the same for every reader. The $29 report uses the location or industry you name, states the exact BLS cut used, and packages five decision-focused sections as a PDF. Choose $49 when you need a broader comparison of industries, places, changes and next moves.
What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 2 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 19
No longer listed 6
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| exhibition curator | 2621.5 | broader |
| collection manager | 2621.3 | broader |
| museum scientist | 2621.8 | broader |
| exhibition registrar | 2621.6 | broader |
| zoo curator | 1431.2.6 | broader |
| mediation and education manager | 2621.7 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
Keep exploring
See labor-market evidence in motion.
Watch short Tamhu stories about pay, growth and how work changes — then return to the source data here.
Watch this occupation
This job has changed before and it will change again. We'll email you when the data moves — a tool appears, a skill gains weight, the pay distribution shifts. Free, and one click to stop.
Check your inbox — your watch starts only after you confirm.
We send data, not advice. No sharing, no resale. Privacy