The average salary for a museum conservator in the United States is around $51,440 per year.
Avg Salary
Museum conservators earn an average yearly salary of $51,440.
Wages typically start from $33,780 and go up to $87,530.
18% below national average Updated in 2025
Museum conservator earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level museum conservator earnings begin at:
$42.08 per hour
$87,530 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level museum conservator earnings begin at:
$32.52 per hour
$67,640 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level museum conservator earnings begin at:
$24.73 per hour
$51,440 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level museum conservator earnings begin at:
$19.73 per hour
$41,050 per year
10th percentile
Starting level museum conservator earnings begin at:
$16.24 per hour
$33,780 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Museum conservator salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $76,900 |
| District of Columbia | $76,110 |
| New York | $74,550 |
| Connecticut | $62,030 |
| California | $61,550 |
| Alaska | $60,840 |
| Washington | $59,610 |
| Massachusetts | $58,530 |
| Illinois | $56,720 |
| New Mexico | $56,670 |
| Nevada | $56,470 |
| Wyoming | $56,420 |
| Rhode Island | $55,470 |
| Florida | $53,460 |
| Virginia | $52,190 |
| Colorado | $51,990 |
| Iowa | $51,740 |
| Minnesota | $50,140 |
| Kentucky | $49,940 |
| Georgia | $49,270 |
| Missouri | $49,170 |
| Maine | $48,460 |
| Oklahoma | $48,090 |
| Ohio | $47,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,150 |
| Arizona | $46,650 |
| Indiana | $46,490 |
| Kansas | $46,320 |
| Texas | $45,880 |
| Oregon | $45,820 |
| Tennessee | $44,710 |
| New Jersey | $43,780 |
| Idaho | $43,520 |
| Montana | $42,390 |
| Nebraska | $41,960 |
| Arkansas | $41,280 |
| Hawaii | $40,170 |
| North Carolina | $39,290 |
| Michigan | $39,000 |
| Wisconsin | $38,840 |
| Alabama | $38,350 |
| South Carolina | $38,290 |
| Delaware | $38,080 |
| Utah | $35,430 |
| Vermont | $34,780 |
| Louisiana | $32,350 |
| South Dakota | $30,840 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,080 |
How do museum conservator salaries compare to similar careers?
Museum conservators earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than model makers but more than humanitarians.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Model maker salary | $57K |
| Embalmer salary | $59K |
| Jeweler salary | $53K |
| Precious metal worker salary | $53K |
| Gem worker salary | $53K |
| Museum conservator salary | $51K |
| Photographer salary | $45K |
| Motion picture projectionist salary | $38K |
| Craft artist salary | $46K |
| Humanitarian salary | $46K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)