Museum Technicians and Conservators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for museum technicians and conservatorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $57,410 ≈ $28/hr
National median salary $51,440
Total employment 12,310 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +5.4%
Faster than average
Annual openings 1,900 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 15,700 → 16,500 (+800)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Maryland$85,110
- District of Columbia$78,090
- New York$73,780
- Connecticut$66,770
- Rhode Island$65,070
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$37,430
- Wisconsin$40,130
- Utah$41,010
- Alabama$41,610
- South Carolina$42,010
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $85,110 | $76,900 | $41 | +48.2% | 450 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $78,090 | $76,110 | $38 | +36% | 520 |
| 3 | New York | $73,780 | $74,550 | $35 | +28.5% | 1,050 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $66,770 | $62,030 | $32 | +16.3% | 280 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $65,070 | $55,470 | $31 | +13.3% | 70 |
| 6 | California | $64,000 | $61,550 | $31 | +11.5% | 1,610 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $61,720 | $58,530 | $30 | +7.5% | 440 |
| 8 | Washington | $60,540 | $59,610 | $29 | +5.5% | 280 |
| 9 | Illinois | $59,800 | $56,720 | $29 | +4.2% | 400 |
| 10 | Nevada | $59,510 | $56,470 | $29 | +3.7% | 70 |
| 11 | Alaska | $59,240 | $60,840 | $28 | +3.2% | 60 |
| 12 | Virginia | $58,070 | $52,190 | $28 | +1.1% | 310 |
| 13 | Georgia | $57,790 | $49,270 | $28 | +0.7% | 150 |
| 14 | Florida | $56,000 | $53,460 | $27 | -2.5% | 250 |
| 15 | Colorado | $55,840 | $51,990 | $27 | -2.7% | 290 |
| 16 | Iowa | $55,010 | $51,740 | $26 | -4.2% | 100 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $54,960 | $56,670 | $26 | -4.3% | 100 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $53,720 | $50,140 | $26 | -6.4% | 170 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $52,930 | $47,150 | $25 | -7.8% | 310 |
| 20 | Ohio | $52,700 | $47,570 | $25 | -8.2% | 350 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $52,530 | $56,420 | $25 | -8.5% | 60 |
| 22 | Missouri | $52,500 | $49,170 | $25 | -8.6% | 850 |
| 23 | Maine | $51,150 | $48,460 | $25 | -10.9% | 60 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $50,770 | $43,780 | $24 | -11.6% | 110 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $50,350 | $48,090 | $24 | -12.3% | 190 |
| 26 | Oregon | $50,320 | $45,820 | $24 | -12.3% | 170 |
| 27 | Arizona | $49,650 | $46,650 | $24 | -13.5% | 90 |
| 28 | Indiana | $49,550 | $46,490 | $24 | -13.7% | 290 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $47,690 | $49,940 | $23 | -16.9% | 80 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $47,530 | $41,960 | $23 | -17.2% | 60 |
| 31 | Kansas | $47,280 | $46,320 | $23 | -17.6% | 130 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $47,280 | $44,710 | $23 | -17.6% | 210 |
| 33 | Delaware | $46,520 | $38,080 | $22 | -19% | 60 |
| 34 | Texas | $46,100 | $45,880 | $22 | -19.7% | 670 |
| 35 | Idaho | $44,990 | $43,520 | $22 | -21.6% | 40 |
| 36 | Michigan | $44,660 | $39,000 | $21 | -22.2% | 340 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $44,430 | $40,170 | $21 | -22.6% | 140 |
| 38 | Montana | $44,250 | $42,390 | $21 | -22.9% | 120 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $43,100 | $41,280 | $21 | -24.9% | 110 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $42,720 | $39,290 | $21 | -25.6% | 450 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $42,010 | $38,290 | $20 | -26.8% | 90 |
| 42 | Alabama | $41,610 | $38,350 | $20 | -27.5% | 130 |
| 43 | Utah | $41,010 | $35,430 | $20 | -28.6% | 100 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $40,130 | $38,840 | $19 | -30.1% | 160 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $37,430 | $32,350 | $18 | -34.8% | 200 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 71 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $79,230 | $82,630 | 970 |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $77,030 | $76,720 | 820 |
| 3 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $75,100 | $69,180 | 30 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $75,020 | $74,400 | 420 |
| 5 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $68,960 | $65,680 | 30 |
| 6 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $66,620 | $70,470 | 70 |
| 7 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $65,310 | $67,370 | 40 |
| 8 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $62,290 | $64,200 | 40 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $61,370 | $63,210 | 180 |
| 10 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $61,040 | $67,070 | 80 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing museum technicians and conservatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | $71,640 | $74,500 | 80 |
| 2 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | $71,640 | $74,500 | 80 |
| 3 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $69,300 | $72,980 | 30 |
| 4 | Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers | $65,590 | $66,270 | — |
| 5 | Sectors 44 and 45 - Retail Trade | $65,590 | $66,270 | — |
| 6 | Sector 51 - Information | $62,670 | $67,440 | 120 |
| 7 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $61,160 | $64,290 | 540 |
| 8 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $61,160 | $64,680 | 520 |
| 9 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $61,110 | $71,140 | 2,080 |
| 10 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $61,110 | $71,140 | 2,080 |
| 11 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $60,820 | $61,640 | 1,370 |
| 12 | Educational Services | $60,430 | $61,260 | 1,460 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do museum technicians and conservators make in the U.S.?
The median museum technicians and conservators salary in the United States is $51,440 per year (mean $57,410), and about 80% earn between $33,780 and $87,530.
How much do museum technicians and conservators make per hour?
Roughly $28 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $57,410 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays museum technicians and conservators the most?
Maryland has the highest average pay for museum technicians and conservators at $85,110 per year (median $76,900).
What is the job outlook for museum technicians and conservators?
Employment is projected to change +5.4% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 1,900 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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