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Curators in Washington

Want to work as a Curators in Washington? Here’s what you need to know. 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.

What do Curators Make in Washington?

For a curators working in Washington, the median annual wage is $66,160 per year (or roughly $31.81/hour).Pay can range from $43,950 at the 10th percentile to $101,350 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$43,950	$21.13
25th percentile	$54,930	$26.41
Median (50th)	$66,160	$31.81
75th percentile	$80,640	$38.77
90th percentile	$101,350	$48.73

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Washington compared to the national average — is 0.92.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, curators earn a median of $79,764 per year ($38.35/hour), below the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 1,493,993 curators in the U.S.. In Washington alone, approximately 260 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 170 curators.

Top Washington Metros for Curators

The largest metro-area employers of curators in Washington.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	140	$72,440

Top States for Curators Employment

These states have the highest employment of curators work.

State	Number Employed
New York	1,270
California	1,180
Texas	610
Pennsylvania	590
Illinois	570
North Carolina	570
Florida	510
Massachusetts	440
Virginia	440
Michigan	360
Colorado	340
Ohio	320
Washington	260
Wisconsin	250
Georgia	240
Missouri	230
Oklahoma	220
Maryland	200
Connecticut	200
Tennessee	200

Highest-Paying States for Curators

These states pay the most for curators.

State	Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia	$81,990
New York	$78,760
California	$78,710
Massachusetts	$75,980
Rhode Island	$74,690
Connecticut	$73,350
Colorado	$70,100
Nevada	$67,310
Washington	$66,160
New Jersey	$65,930

Skills

Key curators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for curators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Curators typically:

• 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.
• Write and review grant proposals, journal articles, institutional reports, and publicity materials.
• Design, organize, or conduct tours, workshops, and instructional or educational sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and 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.

Work Activities

• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Getting Information
• Thinking Creatively
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Communicating with People Outside the Organization
• Working with Computers
• Processing Information
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Other careers like curators include:

• Anthropologists and Archeologists
• Historians
• Social Science Research Assistants
• Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary
• Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
• Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

Also Known As

Art Curator, Art Handler, Coin Collector, Collections Curator, Collections Manager, Content Curator, Curator, Data Curator, Digital Curator, Education Curator, Educational Institution Curator, Educational Resource Coordinator, Exhibitions Curator, Exhibits Curator, Field Collector.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 25-4012.00