How to Become a Curator
Build and care for museum collections, deciding what a community sees, learns, and preserves. It typically requires a master's degree, with a median salary of $63,420 per year and much faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$63,420/yr
Middle half
$48,870 to $83,080
Job growth
Much faster than average
Openings / yr
1,800
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Collection Management
- Exhibition Design
- Research
- Grant Writing
- Public Programming
Helpful certifications
- MA in museum studies or related field
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
68/100
Work-life balance
63/100
Stress level
42/100
Related careers
- School Principal (K-12 Administrator)$105,870 median
- College Administrator (Postsecondary)$104,590 median
- School Psychologist$95,990 median
- Instructional Coordinator$77,440 median
- Teacher (Secondary Education)$72,040 median
- Librarian$68,270 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Curator make?
The median pay for a Curator is $63,420 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $48,870 and $83,080 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Curator?
The usual entry point is a master's degree. Common majors are History, Anthropology, Fine Arts, Museum Studies, Art History, and Arts Management.
Is Curator a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is much faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 1,800 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Curator use most?
Common skills for this role are Collection Management, Exhibition Design, Research, Grant Writing, and Public Programming.
Planning to become a Curator?
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).