SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Restore, maintain, or prepare objects in museum collections for storage, research, or exhibit. May work with specimens such as fossils, skeletal parts, or botanicals; or artifacts, textiles, or art. May identify and record objects or install and arrange them in exhibits. Includes book or document conservators.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 25-4013.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $33,780 | $2,815 | $650 | $16.24 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $41,050 | $3,421 | $789 | $19.73 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $51,440 | $4,287 | $989 | $24.73 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $67,640 | $5,637 | $1,301 | $32.52 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $87,530 | $7,294 | $1,683 | $42.08 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Museum Technicians and Conservators is $51,440, which is about the same. Among the 64 occupations of the field Educational Instruction and Library, it ranks number 56 by median pay. With 12,310 jobs, it makes up about 0.8 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($57,410) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Museum Technicians and Conservators pay by state
The highest median pay was in Maryland ($76,900), District of Columbia ($76,110) and New York ($74,550). The lowest was in Louisiana ($32,350), Utah ($35,430) and Delaware ($38,080). The most jobs were in California (1,610), New York (1,050) and Missouri (850). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 9.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 450 | $76,900 | $85,110 | $36.97 |
| District of Columbia | 520 | $76,110 | $78,090 | $36.59 |
| New York | 1,050 | $74,550 | $73,780 | $35.84 |
| Connecticut | 280 | $62,030 | $66,770 | $29.82 |
| California | 1,610 | $61,550 | $64,000 | $29.59 |
| Alaska | 60 | $60,840 | $59,240 | $29.25 |
| Washington | 280 | $59,610 | $60,540 | $28.66 |
| Massachusetts | 440 | $58,530 | $61,720 | $28.14 |
| Illinois | 400 | $56,720 | $59,800 | $27.27 |
| New Mexico | 100 | $56,670 | $54,960 | $27.25 |
| Nevada | 70 | $56,470 | $59,510 | $27.15 |
| Wyoming | 60 | $56,420 | $52,530 | $27.13 |
| Rhode Island | 70 | $55,470 | $65,070 | $26.67 |
| Florida | 250 | $53,460 | $56,000 | $25.70 |
| Virginia | 310 | $52,190 | $58,070 | $25.09 |
| Colorado | 290 | $51,990 | $55,840 | $25.00 |
| Iowa | 100 | $51,740 | $55,010 | $24.87 |
| Minnesota | 170 | $50,140 | $53,720 | $24.11 |
| Kentucky | 80 | $49,940 | $47,690 | $24.01 |
| Georgia | 150 | $49,270 | $57,790 | $23.69 |
| Missouri | 850 | $49,170 | $52,500 | $23.64 |
| Maine | 60 | $48,460 | $51,150 | $23.30 |
| Oklahoma | 190 | $48,090 | $50,350 | $23.12 |
| Ohio | 350 | $47,570 | $52,700 | $22.87 |
| Pennsylvania | 310 | $47,150 | $52,930 | $22.67 |
| Arizona | 90 | $46,650 | $49,650 | $22.43 |
| Indiana | 290 | $46,490 | $49,550 | $22.35 |
| Kansas | 130 | $46,320 | $47,280 | $22.27 |
| Texas | 670 | $45,880 | $46,100 | $22.06 |
| Oregon | 170 | $45,820 | $50,320 | $22.03 |
| Tennessee | 210 | $44,710 | $47,280 | $21.49 |
| New Jersey | 110 | $43,780 | $50,770 | $21.05 |
| Idaho | 40 | $43,520 | $44,990 | $20.92 |
| Montana | 120 | $42,390 | $44,250 | $20.38 |
| Nebraska | 60 | $41,960 | $47,530 | $20.17 |
| Arkansas | 110 | $41,280 | $43,100 | $19.84 |
| Hawaii | 140 | $40,170 | $44,430 | $19.31 |
| North Carolina | 450 | $39,290 | $42,720 | $18.89 |
| Michigan | 340 | $39,000 | $44,660 | $18.75 |
| Wisconsin | 160 | $38,840 | $40,130 | $18.68 |
| Alabama | 130 | $38,350 | $41,610 | $18.44 |
| South Carolina | 90 | $38,290 | $42,010 | $18.41 |
| Delaware | 60 | $38,080 | $46,520 | $18.31 |
| Utah | 100 | $35,430 | $41,010 | $17.03 |
| Louisiana | 200 | $32,350 | $37,430 | $15.56 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$62,680 a year
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$61,540 a year
- Farm and Home Management Educators$60,220 a year
- Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other$50,890 a year
- Self-Enrichment Teachers$46,800 a year
- Library Technicians$44,580 a year
Common questions
How much do Museum Technicians and Conservators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $51,440 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,780 and the highest-paid 10% more than $87,530.
How many people work as Museum Technicians and Conservators?
About 12,310 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.