Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
25-4013 Museum Technicians and Conservators
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.
National estimates for Museum Technicians and Conservators
Industry profile for Museum Technicians and Conservators
Geographic profile for Museum Technicians and Conservators
National estimates for Museum Technicians and Conservators:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Museum Technicians and Conservators:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 10,960 |
2.1 % |
$ 25.02 |
$ 52,030 |
1.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Museum Technicians and Conservators:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 14.01 |
$ 17.52 |
$ 22.90 |
$ 29.53 |
$ 38.36 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 29,130 |
$ 36,440 |
$ 47,630 |
$ 61,420 |
$ 79,780 |
Industry profile for Museum Technicians and Conservators:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Museum Technicians and Conservators are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Museum Technicians and Conservators, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Museum Technicians and Conservators:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions |
5,270 |
4.00 |
$ 23.23 |
$ 48,320 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
2,010 |
0.10 |
$ 29.76 |
$ 61,900 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
1,300 |
0.04 |
$ 26.99 |
$ 56,130 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
920 |
0.02 |
$ 19.10 |
$ 39,730 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
470 |
0.02 |
$ 23.18 |
$ 48,220 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Museum Technicians and Conservators:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions |
5,270 |
4.00 |
$ 23.23 |
$ 48,320 |
| Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers |
450 |
1.00 |
$ 34.38 |
$ 71,500 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
2,010 |
0.10 |
$ 29.76 |
$ 61,900 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
1,300 |
0.04 |
$ 26.99 |
$ 56,130 |
| Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events |
30 |
0.04 |
$ 18.57 |
$ 38,620 |
Top paying industries for Museum Technicians and Conservators:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers |
450 |
1.00 |
$ 34.38 |
$ 71,500 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
2,010 |
0.10 |
$ 29.76 |
$ 61,900 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations |
50 |
0.01 |
$ 29.66 |
$ 61,690 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
1,300 |
0.04 |
$ 26.99 |
$ 56,130 |
| Junior Colleges |
80 |
0.01 |
$ 24.78 |
$ 51,550 |
Geographic profile for Museum Technicians and Conservators:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Museum Technicians and Conservators are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Museum Technicians and Conservators, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Museum Technicians and Conservators:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
1,120 |
0.07 |
0.87 |
$ 27.26 |
$ 56,700 |
| New York |
1,050 |
0.12 |
1.56 |
$ 35.36 |
$ 73,550 |
| Missouri |
810 |
0.30 |
3.82 |
$ 21.95 |
$ 45,650 |
| Illinois |
770 |
0.14 |
1.77 |
$ 24.39 |
$ 50,740 |
| Virginia |
580 |
0.15 |
1.99 |
$ 19.47 |
$ 40,490 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Museum Technicians and Conservators:
Top paying states for Museum Technicians and Conservators:
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Museum Technicians and Conservators:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
890 |
0.30 |
3.89 |
$ 35.45 |
$ 73,740 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
850 |
0.10 |
1.27 |
$ 38.30 |
$ 79,670 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL |
660 |
0.52 |
6.69 |
$ 21.73 |
$ 45,200 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
650 |
0.15 |
1.99 |
$ 25.06 |
$ 52,120 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
410 |
0.16 |
2.03 |
$ 32.78 |
$ 68,180 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
390 |
0.17 |
2.22 |
$ 30.73 |
$ 63,920 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
350 |
0.06 |
0.79 |
$ 26.23 |
$ 54,550 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
320 |
0.12 |
1.54 |
$ 27.31 |
$ 56,800 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC |
210 |
0.29 |
3.78 |
$ 18.45 |
$ 38,370 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS |
180 |
0.17 |
2.22 |
$ 23.61 |
$ 49,120 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Museum Technicians and Conservators:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| St. Louis, MO-IL |
660 |
0.52 |
6.69 |
$ 21.73 |
$ 45,200 |
| Ann Arbor, MI |
90 |
0.45 |
5.78 |
$ 16.61 |
$ 34,540 |
| Charlottesville, VA |
40 |
0.33 |
4.26 |
$ 18.94 |
$ 39,400 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA |
160 |
0.31 |
3.94 |
$ 23.31 |
$ 48,480 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
890 |
0.30 |
3.89 |
$ 35.45 |
$ 73,740 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC |
210 |
0.29 |
3.78 |
$ 18.45 |
$ 38,370 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA |
40 |
0.22 |
2.84 |
$ 26.65 |
$ 55,430 |
| Dayton, OH |
80 |
0.21 |
2.75 |
$ 25.84 |
$ 53,750 |
| Richmond, VA |
120 |
0.19 |
2.41 |
$ 17.56 |
$ 36,530 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS |
180 |
0.17 |
2.22 |
$ 23.61 |
$ 49,120 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Museum Technicians and Conservators:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
850 |
0.10 |
1.27 |
$ 38.30 |
$ 79,670 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
890 |
0.30 |
3.89 |
$ 35.45 |
$ 73,740 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
410 |
0.16 |
2.03 |
$ 32.78 |
$ 68,180 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY |
70 |
0.16 |
2.03 |
$ 31.23 |
$ 64,950 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
390 |
0.17 |
2.22 |
$ 30.73 |
$ 63,920 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
80 |
0.04 |
0.56 |
$ 28.24 |
$ 58,740 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
320 |
0.12 |
1.54 |
$ 27.31 |
$ 56,800 |
| Cleveland-Elyria, OH |
60 |
0.06 |
0.75 |
$ 27.24 |
$ 56,660 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
60 |
0.04 |
0.51 |
$ 26.93 |
$ 56,020 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA |
40 |
0.14 |
1.83 |
$ 26.73 |
$ 55,600 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Museum Technicians and Conservators:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Museum Technicians and Conservators:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Museum Technicians and Conservators:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
