PublicPay

Museum Curator federal salary series 1015

Full-time federal employees in the Museum Curator series earned a median of $119,485 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 9% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $97,060 and $151,856.

Median pay
$119,485
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$97,060–$151,856
25th–75th percentile
Employees
491
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+1.8%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Museum Curator
All federal (full-time)

What shapes museum curator pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-11 (139 employees, median $92,952). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of the Interior (154 employees). Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

OPM withheld pay for 38% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Museum Curator pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Museum Curator pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-11 139 $92,952 $82,721–$101,306
GS-12 120 $112,657 $105,829–$119,767
GS-13 96 $138,024 $133,964–$142,084
GS-14 47 $167,902 $162,231–$172,700

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Museum Curator pay by agency

Museum Curator pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of the Interior 154 $97,087 $81,960–$114,344
Smithsonian Institution 112 $146,143 $129,772–$172,700

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Museum Curator pay by state

The 1 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Museum Curator pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
District of Columbia 130 $154,263 $133,964–$173,256

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Change since September 2025

The median moved +1.8% from $117,382 in September 2025 to $119,485 in September 2026. Headcount went from 548 to 491 (−10.4%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

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