How much does a museum technician make?
a year · about $25 an hour
A typical museum technician in the United States makes $51,440 a year, about $25 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
They inspect and photograph artifacts, decide how to clean or protect them, and record each object's condition. They may repair delicate items or carefully install them in a display case.
Did you know? A Brooklyn Museum conservator once had to add new live blowflies every week to keep an artwork going after the flies completed their life cycle.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $33,780 and $87,530How do you become one?
In the United States, museum technicians usually earn a bachelor's degree in museum studies, archaeology, art history, or a related field, then build experience through internships or volunteering. Conservators commonly go on to a conservation master's degree, often after gaining hands-on experience as an intern, volunteer, or paid technician.
School needed: Graduate degree or long training
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, pay can differ with experience and education: conservators usually need more schooling than museum technicians. It also depends on the employer and location, the objects and tasks you specialize in, and how much responsibility the job carries.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Maryland ($76,900), lowest in Louisiana ($32,350).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $33,780 | $51,440 | $87,530 | about 12,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $76,900 | about 450 |
| District of Columbia | $76,110 | about 520 |
| New York | $74,550 | about 1,000 |
| Connecticut | $62,030 | about 280 |
| California | $61,550 | about 2,000 |
Official definition: 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.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/curators-museum-technicians-and-c
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-4013.00
- www.culturalheritage.org/careers/become-a-conservator
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.brooklynmuseum.org/stories/ask-a-conservator-job
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY