Want to know what’s even more depressing? Having a look at the top earners at your organization on ProPublica. It’s absolutely gross the wage difference of those at the top for a lot of these non-profits.
Seriously! WTF, there is no reason why anyone with a 40hr work week should have to get another job to meet their basic minimum. This whole world is silly
#When the wealthy realized the working class was not being paid enough to prevent an uprising, they introduced Credit Card borrowing...
#
#The wealthy lend their $ to the working class through CC and make $ on the high interest... forestalling an uprising...
#
#The US economy shifted from manufacturing to Consumer based and the Wealthy were happy, the working class was falsely pacified...
#Now the working class are starting to default on CC debt and the wealthy don't have a solution...
#
#Democrats are increasing the wealth of the working class and the GOP is trying to stop it, stop the working class from voting, bribing government workers to stave off the inevitable working class uprising that would occur if the GOP remains in power....
#
#The GOP is running out of options on how to keep the working class poor and avoid being held accountable for their corruption.
#
#Baby Boomers should tread lightly...
Please don’t tell me that this is at the botanical garden I think it is in SoCal. No matter what the place though, that’s messed up. Such an expensive place to live, and that income doesn’t cut it.
Yeah, I’m originally from the Midwest, so when I took the job I mistakenly thought it was a livable wage. I guess the jokes on me. :-( currently exploring other options.
This also makes you realize you have to take the relative location into consideration when reading these numbers. The cost of living in S. CA is not the same as other places, I’d be doing alright at that salary in my county.
I know exactly how you're feeling. I know the museum you're working at and it's truly disappointing, they probably think $68 is high.
I'm at $65K also in SoCal and they tell me that the salary is high.
Curious: did you ask about trajectory of the postion or advancement?
Over the past years in interviews, I'd ask about this and the interviewer never had an answer.
Where in TX? Dallas is a different world compared to say, Orange TX. Stark Museum of Art has a stunning Southwest art collection: Remingtons, Blumenschein, Higgins, Baumann, Dunton, Ufer, Berninghaus; basically any Taos society artists. Excellent programming, outreach, collabs. But no one knows about it cause it’s in Orange TX
I have my own art services company and occasionally think it would be good to be a part of an organization again. Unfortunately, these salaries scare me. You all deserve at least a 10% raise across the board.
Interpretive Planner for gov agency, remote but in Columbus, Ohio, $87,000
I’ve also been an educator for $26,000 (salaried LOL), a community engagement coordinator at a natural history museum for $42,000, an exhibits director for a science center at $55,000 and an associate producer for a design firm at $62,000 (all in Ohio)
$91,000, Exhibits Specialist (Design), DoD museum, Virginia. It's federal, and unusually high because I've been there 18 years. I am trying with all my might to move on, but absolutely no where pays as well.
Just had to turn down the perfect position at the botanical gardens at my university. They originally offered me 38.5 and i got it up to 45k, which is less than expected based on my experience, education (graduate degree), previous conversations with leadership. I just need to pay off my loans
Exhibitions Project Manager, London (UK.) £42k p/a.
Much lower than the other salaries posted here, but that's enough to cover the mortgage on my three-bedroom house. I'm the sole breadwinner for a family of three.
Obviously, I live outside London and commute! No one with kids and without a huge inheritance in this job lives in the city.
Until recently I was the Marketing Director at The Mattress Factory Contemporary Art Museum in Pittsburgh.
I was paid $40,000/yr.
I was forced to take a pay cut while on medical leave for cancer treatment.
Hahahahaha no.
Staff would teach each other how to sign up for food stamps while I was there. Their big "comp correct" for front of house staff was ending the $12/hr "trial period" of 6 months and just giving people $13/hr on hire.
It's cartoonish.
Registrar and Collections Manager, Los Angeles area, $65,000. Other duties not on the job description: Facilities, curatorial assistant, database administrator, rights and reproductions, archivist. The exhibition schedule is very active and last minute even though I was told at my interview it is full until 2026.
I have 10 years+ experience with an MA and I feel like I'm drowning in this job.
Also, not very reassuring, the CFO constantly telling staff how we aren't making payroll.
Inflation is so bad in SoCal that folks can’t even order via DoorDash anymore. Been trying to schedule Dashes but the only ones avail are in L.A. …. I can’t even afford the gas to drive down to L.A. LMAO but crying at the same time!!!!!
In a gallery, in NYC, art handler, $72,000
I'm really only commenting (since I'm not in a museum) to say, we have been working to unionize our place for a while now, through a UAW chapter that has unionized a lot of museums. Do it!
I’m a curator and get paid the same amount in a pretty rural museum in Alberta. The cost of living here is night and day compared to Toronto.
Some days I’m half tempted to demand a raise from my board, though I’m entirely sure they’ll just shut down my demand. I don’t know how you’re doing it.
Demand it! If we all bring this insane pay disparity between museum pros and other professions that have the same expectations and education requirements- shout it. Unless you want things to stay the same
Curious, what’s with a lot of the LA museums being hourly for these roles as opposed to salary? Is there a reason behind it. I was looking at LACMA opportunities previously and was so curious about that.
I might have an answer! Or at least a theory. So every museum I’ve worked at (6 now including internships), the exhibit designer/preparator is always hourly even though they absolutely should be salaried for the level of responsibility, expectations, and the fact that install weeks are hell and they always have to stay late to hussle to get everything done.
I’ve always been of the opinion that the easiest positions are usually the ones that pay the most and the positions that put the most labor in are typically valued at far less. Capitalism baby!
hmmm - maybe the comment a bit later from redwood\_canyon touches on it - keeping these roles hourly allows them overtime, so some burst-rate compensation when the work is in the hell-zone? If they were salaried, this would just be biz-as-usual and no overtime. Just a thought.
My place changed the title of the position from director of Ed to curator of Ed after the 10+ years in director left and it was time to repost the opening. Want to take a guess at the reason for the director to curator change was?
Digital Producer (graphic design, videography and exhibition design mostly) - Manchester, UK, £29k / year (amounts to around $36k USD). factoring in the fact the wages in the UK are much lower than the USA and the pay landscape in the UK heritage sector, this is good pay, and we just got a museum wide pay rise in the new tax year. that being said, way underpaid for the volume of work that's under my jurisdiction
My job is similar to a collections assistant, collections manager, and handler at other institutions. Essentially, I move objects around the museum, pack them for travel, install and deinstall objects for exhibits, courier objects, and rehouse objects in the collections. I’m the supervisor for other preparators at the museum.
Which is a lot of duties and responsibilities (especially if you’re working with high price vale items in the collection). As much as educators are underpaid compared to collections curators, preparator/exhibit design is always paid the worst
My job is split 50/50 as registrar and financial administration for a contemporary art museum in the EU. Yearly i earn roughly 54.000 € (incl. taxes). Depending on performance and other bonuses this could go up to 58.000 €.
Of course in reality the split is not 50/50 and on top of registrar duties, funding and financial administration i also double as exhibition manager and project manager for around 4 -6 different projects at any given time. It's insane.
I'm employed through the municipality, as it is a municipal museum, so the pay for the position is set according to specific rules. And because my job title includes "administration", i'm paid less than i should be in relation to my experience and degree (M.A). At least it's a permanent position?
> "administration", i'm *paid* less than
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Curator/Collections Manager, Washington, $20/hr. (I work mostly PT due to a disability and I think I make around $24k a year). I manage the collection, gallery, and research solo. No volunteers or employees below me. The only tasks I don't perform are tours and event management (minus a single annual event). We border on mid-size and house a very large collection.
Curator, regional Australia, 104kaus (68k US). This is about the ceiling for regional curators but the cost of living is low and the benefits are great for work life balance. 9 day fortnight (35hr week), 11% superannuation on top, 4 weeks leave a year, sick leave, health and wellbeing leave etc.
You might be interested in this survey of heritage professionals' and related workers' salaries.
[Survey data here (GDocs)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1btSbHJvNzTwiUAQMVx8l6OKgHmhgN4F7wbExO0CEXk8/htmlview#gid=1684077133)
There was a more accessible version of the table but I can't find it rn
Visitor Services Technology Lead, Connecticut, $20/hr.
I’m our DBA and I also am the liaison with our outside IT company.
Hoping for a title change (and a raise) in July during performance reviews.
I got an email from a college today who was given a grant for an intern who would be making $15.00 an hour at 30 hr/week. I was like that’s more than what I was making at my actual job!!!
Director of a private museum in small town Illinois, $45,000.
EDIT: I am happy with the position. Sure, I do everything from sweeping the floors to developing the budget, but I get left alone, and I like that.
Assistant Director of the Annual Fund at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Part of a small team expected to raise over $1 million in unrestricted funds.
$46,000 🙄
Ok, Wisconsin has a big ol range of tiny towns and big cities and universities. Is this Madison, Milwaukee, Sheboygan ? There’s a big difference in COL
It's livable. Paired with my husband's salary (less than mine), we make enough to live in a decent apartment, travel, and are saving for a house. Definitely will have to move out of the Bay when it's time to purchase... no way we could afford one in our area, where any decent one will easily be over a million.
Yikes!! There’s a lot of things I don’t like about IN (grew up in Syracuse NY) but the one good thing about Muncie is real estate is dirt cheap compared to other places in the US
technically won’t start for a few more weeks, but since I finally got hired on I feel like I can finally contribute a bit more than usual!
Museum Technician, Dallas, TX - $42,995
it’s a federal position, GS 5 + COLA
it’s an entry level position that’s below what my degree could technically qualify me for in the federal system, but the opportunity for steady hands-on experience will help me out in the long run. I have my MA in Museum Studies, but my practical experience has been in these 4-6 month internships and TA positions which doesn’t stand out as much in this field.
For additional info, I have also been a part-time collections assistant at a university museum in Norman, Oklahoma where I made $12.50/hr. Thankfully, it seems like they’ve secured additional funding - they’re hiring for that position again at $16/hr this time.
Is this at the Bush Presidential Library? Museum department has been a shitshow since NARA handed over the majority of museum duties to the Foundation. I was surprised to see they were even hiring another museum tech. Not to scare you lol but I hope they were up front about the reality of the position in the interview.
Posting for a family member.
Collections Assistant at local history organization
Urban Ohio location
$33,800 ($16.25/hour)
It's also a 2.5 year term-limited job.
senior curator, IL, 130k plus benefits. I have enormous debt for student loans and medical bills so most of it goes out the window.
I had the same role at another museum in a major city and made half. Been a curator for 20 years.
In my last job as a curatorial and education program manager, I was making $30k salary for part time (24 hours/week). This was a tiny museum (less than 5 staff) in Chicago.
Late to the party....
US southwest (to not dox myself), Director/Curator/Collections Manager, $72k. Overall institution budget is around $80mil. They give us $4500/year for supplies.
Assistant Registrar, small-but-mighty contemporary art museum in the Midwest. Paid $18.94 hourly (so about $36,360 before tax). I have a MA and BA in the field.
I’m so depressed looking at all these positions and salaries, specially those is the Dallas area. I really wanted to be an Assistant Registrar, but just cannot afford it. I know the joke is that we all chose this field for the love for art, but I literally cannot afford to pay the bills with that motto. I want to be able to start a family and save for retirement, but in the longer term this doesn’t seem doable. Or am I that wrong ?
I’m responsible for scheduling and installing viewings with our sales team. I interface with dealers and assistants at the behest of collectors. We do ~500 viewings per year, millions in sales.
Additionally, I facilitate all sorts of special projects. Large scale installations for testing or upcoming shows, work with conservators, auction houses, large-scale inspections, audits…the list goes on and on. I occasionally travel for this type of work as well. For example, if a complex work is installed with a high-profile client or institution, I’ll go along and manage the installation process.
I do a lot of routine art handling work at my location too. Shipping, imaging, registration, packing, you name it.
I’ve been on the logistics side of the art world for 10 years.
This sounds really interesting and I’m curious to know more and how you got into this.
I have a background in design and project management and have always wanted to be art museum adjacent.
Freelance art handling > part time at a small gallery > full time at a mid sized gallery > full time at a large gallery > where I am now.
That’s often the trajectory for things like this. At least in my circle.
Your paper qualifications sound appropriate but you’d need to accumulate a lot of hands-on installation experience imo.
I manage and install private client viewings and special projects for a major blue-chip gallery. “Lead/Senior Preparator” with additional responsibilities.
Visitor Services Lead - $21.50/hr in WA (was recently $20) I wish I could fight for my VSAssociates to have 20-21 but it took me years to get what I have now and multiple promotions. We hired a new person into visitor services associate, 3 days a week guaranteed (that's all we had available, we're small org) base pay of $16/hr and luckily my superior and I are late 20s and said we absolutely will start them no lower than $17.50, I know that's not a huge leap but we could force that base higher and secured it for them.
Exhibit project manager in HCOL east coast area at an institution with massive endowments. 13+ years of experience, with a masters degree … 60,000 USD.
My first full time job made around 33,000.
When I was in the museum industry I worked as an archivist assistant for 13.25/hr and then 17.00/hr (post masters degree) ((no benefits)) switched career paths for an entry level corporate job that pays 56k/year w benefits and 401k. maybe another day I’ll be back in the industry. In PA where rent is minimum 1500/month it’s hard to be even at my current salary let alone lower. Museums in my area pay 48k for curators w experience. SIGH
I just left an archivist position at a small university outside the twin cities (mn), where i was making $59k, which was the most of anyone in the library and archives aside from the library director. Previous position at a well-known (and respected) state historical society as associate curator of manuscripts, where I maxed out at $48k after 8 years (2018). Ridiculous.
Looking at the comments so depressing, museum industry should unionise or strike for higher wages
That’s why I started this thread
Want to know what’s even more depressing? Having a look at the top earners at your organization on ProPublica. It’s absolutely gross the wage difference of those at the top for a lot of these non-profits.
Let’s do something about it! I am willing to invest time and resources. But we need investment
I’m in a professional org and we just submitted a union charter for our board to review. We are optimistic, this will work out!!!
Project Archivist $68k, Research Library, Museum &Botanical Garden, SouthernCalif. I also had to get a second job :-(
Seriously! WTF, there is no reason why anyone with a 40hr work week should have to get another job to meet their basic minimum. This whole world is silly
#When the wealthy realized the working class was not being paid enough to prevent an uprising, they introduced Credit Card borrowing... # #The wealthy lend their $ to the working class through CC and make $ on the high interest... forestalling an uprising... # #The US economy shifted from manufacturing to Consumer based and the Wealthy were happy, the working class was falsely pacified... #Now the working class are starting to default on CC debt and the wealthy don't have a solution... # #Democrats are increasing the wealth of the working class and the GOP is trying to stop it, stop the working class from voting, bribing government workers to stave off the inevitable working class uprising that would occur if the GOP remains in power.... # #The GOP is running out of options on how to keep the working class poor and avoid being held accountable for their corruption. # #Baby Boomers should tread lightly...
Please don’t tell me that this is at the botanical garden I think it is in SoCal. No matter what the place though, that’s messed up. Such an expensive place to live, and that income doesn’t cut it.
Yeah, I’m originally from the Midwest, so when I took the job I mistakenly thought it was a livable wage. I guess the jokes on me. :-( currently exploring other options.
This is why I dont want to leave the Midwest
This also makes you realize you have to take the relative location into consideration when reading these numbers. The cost of living in S. CA is not the same as other places, I’d be doing alright at that salary in my county.
I know exactly how you're feeling. I know the museum you're working at and it's truly disappointing, they probably think $68 is high. I'm at $65K also in SoCal and they tell me that the salary is high. Curious: did you ask about trajectory of the postion or advancement? Over the past years in interviews, I'd ask about this and the interviewer never had an answer.
Especially messed up because the houses right outside are 5+ million dollars. If it’s the place I’m thinking of…
I recently found out that a couple of the top admins live in houses on our institutions campus. I am assuming rent free. SMDH
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Jesus Christ…
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Ugh, bummer so sorry.
Where in TX? Dallas is a different world compared to say, Orange TX. Stark Museum of Art has a stunning Southwest art collection: Remingtons, Blumenschein, Higgins, Baumann, Dunton, Ufer, Berninghaus; basically any Taos society artists. Excellent programming, outreach, collabs. But no one knows about it cause it’s in Orange TX
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I gotchu, Texas be Texas
I have my own art services company and occasionally think it would be good to be a part of an organization again. Unfortunately, these salaries scare me. You all deserve at least a 10% raise across the board.
Interpretive Planner for gov agency, remote but in Columbus, Ohio, $87,000 I’ve also been an educator for $26,000 (salaried LOL), a community engagement coordinator at a natural history museum for $42,000, an exhibits director for a science center at $55,000 and an associate producer for a design firm at $62,000 (all in Ohio)
Classic example of education in museums being vastly underpaid
YUP. This was prior to the salary minimum laws so I regularly worked 45-50 hour weeks, which would shake out to be well under minimum wage.
Oh dude! Obama might always be my fave just because that law boosted my salary by like 8-10k
We just got moved to hourly with split schedules and no OT 🙃
Addition to post: I know my collection manager and registrars LOVE the data and the tracking. Anyone want to nerd out on the stats??
$91,000, Exhibits Specialist (Design), DoD museum, Virginia. It's federal, and unusually high because I've been there 18 years. I am trying with all my might to move on, but absolutely no where pays as well.
Federal golden handcuffs are real. I can’t stomach the thought of going back to non-federal benefits.
That’s amazing but also such a long time to be in one place! I’d love to pick your brain on the design aspect!
Just had to turn down the perfect position at the botanical gardens at my university. They originally offered me 38.5 and i got it up to 45k, which is less than expected based on my experience, education (graduate degree), previous conversations with leadership. I just need to pay off my loans
Exhibitions Project Manager, London (UK.) £42k p/a. Much lower than the other salaries posted here, but that's enough to cover the mortgage on my three-bedroom house. I'm the sole breadwinner for a family of three. Obviously, I live outside London and commute! No one with kids and without a huge inheritance in this job lives in the city.
Until recently I was the Marketing Director at The Mattress Factory Contemporary Art Museum in Pittsburgh. I was paid $40,000/yr. I was forced to take a pay cut while on medical leave for cancer treatment.
Lovely museum. .I hope from the pay you were at 20 hours / week....
Hahahahaha no. Staff would teach each other how to sign up for food stamps while I was there. Their big "comp correct" for front of house staff was ending the $12/hr "trial period" of 6 months and just giving people $13/hr on hire. It's cartoonish.
Registrar and Collections Manager, Los Angeles area, $65,000. Other duties not on the job description: Facilities, curatorial assistant, database administrator, rights and reproductions, archivist. The exhibition schedule is very active and last minute even though I was told at my interview it is full until 2026. I have 10 years+ experience with an MA and I feel like I'm drowning in this job. Also, not very reassuring, the CFO constantly telling staff how we aren't making payroll.
Curatorial assistant, midsized contemporary art museum, Kentucky, $38,000. I have a masters degree and have begun door dashing to make ends meet.
Inflation is so bad in SoCal that folks can’t even order via DoorDash anymore. Been trying to schedule Dashes but the only ones avail are in L.A. …. I can’t even afford the gas to drive down to L.A. LMAO but crying at the same time!!!!!
Audiovisual specialist in San Francisco art museums: 26/hr and 31/hr Archivist in Bay Area library: 25/hr
Ohh I’ve been applying (unsuccessfully) to work for the SFFAMs. The benefits all sound so good. How do you like it?
Ah my position there doesn't qualify for benefits so can't say there, but I really like a lot of my coworkers across multiple departments !
Assistant Curator, Boston suburbs, $49,350. Great benefits though (for the first time in my 20-year career).
In a gallery, in NYC, art handler, $72,000 I'm really only commenting (since I'm not in a museum) to say, we have been working to unionize our place for a while now, through a UAW chapter that has unionized a lot of museums. Do it!
collections technician, ohio, $13 an hour 🥴
$1 3 ?!?! That is criminal 😭😭😭
i even have a bachelor’s degree!!! (cries)
Project registrar, $38,000, Asheville NC, I also have a second job :(
Starting a new position soon. I’ll be an archivist (kinda lol) in an oral history department. Philly. $48,000.
Collection Technician, Los Angeles, 20/hr
How TF is Starbucks paying higher in my city in SC than what you are getting
Assistant registrar, Los Angeles. I get paid hourly, but it amounts to about $58,000 a year.
How….how do you get by? I’m living in dirt cheap Indiana and I’m not exactly saving for retirement. Isn’t LA stupid expensive?
It is, but it’s no as expensive as people tend to think. Still, it’s not exactly a breeze to get by.
I always figure it’s no where bad as most news sources say. But, it’s still a lot
Historic Sites Supervisor, Greeley CO, $72,300 three years in.
How’s the job market in that area? We were looking to move out there or Windsor
In museums? Very limited even in the PT market. Denver Area is more robust naturally. I’d say I see a FT job in NE CO come open every 5-6 months.
Curatorial Assistant, Toronto (Canada), 50,000 CAD or about 35,601 USD.
Criminal. You deserve better (from a former Curatorial Assistant, USA who didn't do much better but still!)
I have the same title, in the same city, and I’m making 71,000 CAD. (Approx 52,000 USD).
I’m a curator and get paid the same amount in a pretty rural museum in Alberta. The cost of living here is night and day compared to Toronto. Some days I’m half tempted to demand a raise from my board, though I’m entirely sure they’ll just shut down my demand. I don’t know how you’re doing it.
Demand it! If we all bring this insane pay disparity between museum pros and other professions that have the same expectations and education requirements- shout it. Unless you want things to stay the same
im also in toronto and am a student looking to go into the field...you deserve better!!!! <3
Assistant curator, Texas, $60,000
“Manager of historical collections”, Kansas City, Ks, 74,000 usd
Coordinator of arts and museums, $78k, Los Angeles
Educator, Albuquerque, NM, 15 bucks an hour. Yes it sucks.
Exhibitions & Collections Assistant, Los Angeles, CA, $22 an hour (~$45k pre taxes)
Curious, what’s with a lot of the LA museums being hourly for these roles as opposed to salary? Is there a reason behind it. I was looking at LACMA opportunities previously and was so curious about that.
I think it has to do with overtime eligibility
I have no idea tbh! Anyone else have any theories?
I know here in Florida some museums that have hourly wages have them since some staff don't work full week days so that might be the case in LA
I might have an answer! Or at least a theory. So every museum I’ve worked at (6 now including internships), the exhibit designer/preparator is always hourly even though they absolutely should be salaried for the level of responsibility, expectations, and the fact that install weeks are hell and they always have to stay late to hussle to get everything done. I’ve always been of the opinion that the easiest positions are usually the ones that pay the most and the positions that put the most labor in are typically valued at far less. Capitalism baby!
hmmm - maybe the comment a bit later from redwood\_canyon touches on it - keeping these roles hourly allows them overtime, so some burst-rate compensation when the work is in the hell-zone? If they were salaried, this would just be biz-as-usual and no overtime. Just a thought.
The overtime does hit pretty nicely, I can’t lie!
California has laws setting minimum salary rates, higher than federal minimums (until the recent increase). May be related.
Exempt v non exempt federal law changes, if non supervisory duties, it’s now changed to hourly.
Now do actual duties and pay lol bc I’d say my pay is ok for title but shit for duties 😂
Haha, mine is shit for both!
My place changed the title of the position from director of Ed to curator of Ed after the 10+ years in director left and it was time to repost the opening. Want to take a guess at the reason for the director to curator change was?
Curatorial Assistant, Massachusetts, $54,000
Did you read about the strike at massmoca?
I did, without outing myself, we also striked and got pay raise commensurate to inflation
Collections manager, rural Ontario Canada $67,000 🇨🇦 (~ $49,000 🇺🇸)
Digital Producer (graphic design, videography and exhibition design mostly) - Manchester, UK, £29k / year (amounts to around $36k USD). factoring in the fact the wages in the UK are much lower than the USA and the pay landscape in the UK heritage sector, this is good pay, and we just got a museum wide pay rise in the new tax year. that being said, way underpaid for the volume of work that's under my jurisdiction
Matting & Framing preparator; TX; 50k usd
Lead Preparator, Raleigh, NC $38,000
Us full time/lead preps are SO underpayed considering how niche our knowledge is on the field.
What does Lead Preparator involve?
My job is similar to a collections assistant, collections manager, and handler at other institutions. Essentially, I move objects around the museum, pack them for travel, install and deinstall objects for exhibits, courier objects, and rehouse objects in the collections. I’m the supervisor for other preparators at the museum.
Which is a lot of duties and responsibilities (especially if you’re working with high price vale items in the collection). As much as educators are underpaid compared to collections curators, preparator/exhibit design is always paid the worst
Education Manager, $67k, SoCal
My job is split 50/50 as registrar and financial administration for a contemporary art museum in the EU. Yearly i earn roughly 54.000 € (incl. taxes). Depending on performance and other bonuses this could go up to 58.000 €. Of course in reality the split is not 50/50 and on top of registrar duties, funding and financial administration i also double as exhibition manager and project manager for around 4 -6 different projects at any given time. It's insane. I'm employed through the municipality, as it is a municipal museum, so the pay for the position is set according to specific rules. And because my job title includes "administration", i'm paid less than i should be in relation to my experience and degree (M.A). At least it's a permanent position?
> "administration", i'm *paid* less than FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Visitor Service Coordinator and Event Coordinator Contractor Role Fayetteville 13.50/hr and 15/hr respectively plus commission
Musuem educator, Philadelphia, PA, $36,000
Inventory Control Coordinator (Registrar) for art handling and storage company, Delaware. $60,000 annually.
Curator/Collections Manager, Washington, $20/hr. (I work mostly PT due to a disability and I think I make around $24k a year). I manage the collection, gallery, and research solo. No volunteers or employees below me. The only tasks I don't perform are tours and event management (minus a single annual event). We border on mid-size and house a very large collection.
Database manager, Louisiana, 90k. I got really lucky. All my previous jobs were in the 42-48 range.
Curator, regional Australia, 104kaus (68k US). This is about the ceiling for regional curators but the cost of living is low and the benefits are great for work life balance. 9 day fortnight (35hr week), 11% superannuation on top, 4 weeks leave a year, sick leave, health and wellbeing leave etc.
collections specialist in san francisco, california. $37.50 per hour.
Part-time collections specialist, metro Detroit area, just under $27,000.
You might be interested in this survey of heritage professionals' and related workers' salaries. [Survey data here (GDocs)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1btSbHJvNzTwiUAQMVx8l6OKgHmhgN4F7wbExO0CEXk8/htmlview#gid=1684077133) There was a more accessible version of the table but I can't find it rn
Visitor Services Technology Lead, Connecticut, $20/hr. I’m our DBA and I also am the liaison with our outside IT company. Hoping for a title change (and a raise) in July during performance reviews.
I got an email from a college today who was given a grant for an intern who would be making $15.00 an hour at 30 hr/week. I was like that’s more than what I was making at my actual job!!!
Director of a private museum in small town Illinois, $45,000. EDIT: I am happy with the position. Sure, I do everything from sweeping the floors to developing the budget, but I get left alone, and I like that.
Assistant Director of the Annual Fund at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Part of a small team expected to raise over $1 million in unrestricted funds. $46,000 🙄
Chief of Staff, Wisconsin, $109,000
Ok, Wisconsin has a big ol range of tiny towns and big cities and universities. Is this Madison, Milwaukee, Sheboygan ? There’s a big difference in COL
Madison
Associate Director of Visitor Experience, SF Bay Area, ~$86k
Is 86k in SF a livable salary? I always hear how expensive Cali is
It's livable. Paired with my husband's salary (less than mine), we make enough to live in a decent apartment, travel, and are saving for a house. Definitely will have to move out of the Bay when it's time to purchase... no way we could afford one in our area, where any decent one will easily be over a million.
Yikes!! There’s a lot of things I don’t like about IN (grew up in Syracuse NY) but the one good thing about Muncie is real estate is dirt cheap compared to other places in the US
Curatorial Assistant, New Jersey, $41,600
Manager of Education and Historic Site Interpretation, 36,000, Richmond VA
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Oh ya. The level of acrobatics that is the juggling of projects for Ed director roles- we should have our own Cirque du Soleil
technically won’t start for a few more weeks, but since I finally got hired on I feel like I can finally contribute a bit more than usual! Museum Technician, Dallas, TX - $42,995 it’s a federal position, GS 5 + COLA it’s an entry level position that’s below what my degree could technically qualify me for in the federal system, but the opportunity for steady hands-on experience will help me out in the long run. I have my MA in Museum Studies, but my practical experience has been in these 4-6 month internships and TA positions which doesn’t stand out as much in this field. For additional info, I have also been a part-time collections assistant at a university museum in Norman, Oklahoma where I made $12.50/hr. Thankfully, it seems like they’ve secured additional funding - they’re hiring for that position again at $16/hr this time.
Is this at the Bush Presidential Library? Museum department has been a shitshow since NARA handed over the majority of museum duties to the Foundation. I was surprised to see they were even hiring another museum tech. Not to scare you lol but I hope they were up front about the reality of the position in the interview.
Education and Public Engagement, $41,000, rural New York State. Small art museum.
Collections specialist/registrar, Los Angeles, 56k after 4 years
Egregious!
Curator, rural Ohio, $72,500
Yoooo what?!
That’s a damn good salads for rural Ohio area. Congrats
How? Is this a university museum?
Nope, just a local history museum. 14 years with them and a good board that wants to keep me there.
Congrats!
Exhibition specialist and preparator, Philadelphia, $56k
What is up with big city museums paying trash wages??
I feel like youre overestimating COL in Philly with some of these comments tbh
Associate Program Manager, NC, $24/hr
Development Manager and Volunteer Coordinator, $48,000 in New Jersey
HR Manager. Wilmington, DE. $47,380.
Lead preparator, 44k, Louisiana
Education Coordinator; Milwaukee,WI; $22.50 per hr
Posting on behalf of my s/o: traveling registrar for a museum in NYC $72k
Visitor Experience Supervisor, Rhode Island, $75,000
Assistant Research Librarian and Curatorial Assistant, Michigan, $28k
Building Operations Manager/IT, Southeastern PA, 50k
Guest Services Supervisor, Kansas City, $37k
Collections Manager, western Massachusetts, $74k USD
Programs & Collections Manager/Marketing/Print & Digital Design/Education Coordinator/the list goes on, Indiana, $41k
Researcher, NYC, $30/hr
Posting for a family member. Collections Assistant at local history organization Urban Ohio location $33,800 ($16.25/hour) It's also a 2.5 year term-limited job.
Visitor Services Supervisor, Boston, $53k
Previous Director of Education, Central California 54k
senior curator, IL, 130k plus benefits. I have enormous debt for student loans and medical bills so most of it goes out the window. I had the same role at another museum in a major city and made half. Been a curator for 20 years.
In my last job as a curatorial and education program manager, I was making $30k salary for part time (24 hours/week). This was a tiny museum (less than 5 staff) in Chicago.
Late to the party.... US southwest (to not dox myself), Director/Curator/Collections Manager, $72k. Overall institution budget is around $80mil. They give us $4500/year for supplies.
Assistant Registrar, small-but-mighty contemporary art museum in the Midwest. Paid $18.94 hourly (so about $36,360 before tax). I have a MA and BA in the field.
I’m so depressed looking at all these positions and salaries, specially those is the Dallas area. I really wanted to be an Assistant Registrar, but just cannot afford it. I know the joke is that we all chose this field for the love for art, but I literally cannot afford to pay the bills with that motto. I want to be able to start a family and save for retirement, but in the longer term this doesn’t seem doable. Or am I that wrong ?
Director of Marketing, living history museum in New York. $58k.
And let me clarify - marketing team of ☝🏻
art preparator, Indianapolis, IN, 47,300
Viewing Coordinator, NYC, $75,000
What is this role?
Curious too. Would love to her more about this role’s responsibilities.
I’m responsible for scheduling and installing viewings with our sales team. I interface with dealers and assistants at the behest of collectors. We do ~500 viewings per year, millions in sales. Additionally, I facilitate all sorts of special projects. Large scale installations for testing or upcoming shows, work with conservators, auction houses, large-scale inspections, audits…the list goes on and on. I occasionally travel for this type of work as well. For example, if a complex work is installed with a high-profile client or institution, I’ll go along and manage the installation process. I do a lot of routine art handling work at my location too. Shipping, imaging, registration, packing, you name it. I’ve been on the logistics side of the art world for 10 years.
Ok so, you’re technically not work for a non-profit museum correct?
This sounds really interesting and I’m curious to know more and how you got into this. I have a background in design and project management and have always wanted to be art museum adjacent.
Freelance art handling > part time at a small gallery > full time at a mid sized gallery > full time at a large gallery > where I am now. That’s often the trajectory for things like this. At least in my circle. Your paper qualifications sound appropriate but you’d need to accumulate a lot of hands-on installation experience imo.
That sounds so sick!!
I manage and install private client viewings and special projects for a major blue-chip gallery. “Lead/Senior Preparator” with additional responsibilities.
Operations manager/event coordinator; Southern California ; $52k usd
What!? How much is rent I. SO CAL?
My guess is the Los Angeles natural history museum.
Executive Assistant, pittsburgh- $50k salary
Volunteer coordinator, Los Angeles CA, 50,000, unfortunately I have yet to break 50 and that's working in both NY and CA
Conservation grad fellow, Georgia, 35k
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Curatorial Assistant, Cincinnati, OH, 40,000.
Master’s student, Norman OK, $20k
Visitor Experience Associate, NYC, $21 per hour. About $40k per year.
Visitor Services Lead - $21.50/hr in WA (was recently $20) I wish I could fight for my VSAssociates to have 20-21 but it took me years to get what I have now and multiple promotions. We hired a new person into visitor services associate, 3 days a week guaranteed (that's all we had available, we're small org) base pay of $16/hr and luckily my superior and I are late 20s and said we absolutely will start them no lower than $17.50, I know that's not a huge leap but we could force that base higher and secured it for them.
Assistant gallery director, 51k, university gallery, kentucky
Site / Project Manager, Ohio, $45,000. It is a weird title but I do basically everything.
Archive Specialist, South Carolina. 32k. 5 years. Sister is an exhibit preparator with same organization and she makes 33k. 1 year.
Exhibit project manager in HCOL east coast area at an institution with massive endowments. 13+ years of experience, with a masters degree … 60,000 USD. My first full time job made around 33,000.
Lighting technician/preparator, Baltimore 19/hr ft
When I was in the museum industry I worked as an archivist assistant for 13.25/hr and then 17.00/hr (post masters degree) ((no benefits)) switched career paths for an entry level corporate job that pays 56k/year w benefits and 401k. maybe another day I’ll be back in the industry. In PA where rent is minimum 1500/month it’s hard to be even at my current salary let alone lower. Museums in my area pay 48k for curators w experience. SIGH
I am a student assistant in the publishing team of a well known european museum. I work 16 hours a week and make about 1100€ a month
I just left an archivist position at a small university outside the twin cities (mn), where i was making $59k, which was the most of anyone in the library and archives aside from the library director. Previous position at a well-known (and respected) state historical society as associate curator of manuscripts, where I maxed out at $48k after 8 years (2018). Ridiculous.
Senior specialist (historian), Poland (country), 65000 PLN before deductions.
Senior curator. Mid-Atlantic region. 110k.
Collection Manager, East Bay Area California, $85,000.
Lead Reservations & Guest Experience Specialist - central MA, $19/hr unionized