PublicPay

Museum Specialist and Technician federal salary series 1016

Full-time federal employees in the Museum Specialist and Technician series earned a median of $91,145 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 17% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $66,675 and $112,657.

Median pay
$91,145
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$66,675–$112,657
25th–75th percentile
Employees
644
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+0.6%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Museum Specialist and Technician
All federal (full-time)

What shapes museum specialist and technician pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-11 (163 employees, median $96,843). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Smithsonian Institution (327 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 19% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Museum Specialist and Technician pay by grade

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

Museum Specialist and Technician pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-5 72 $46,137 $41,178–$50,241
GS-7 91 $58,504 $52,142–$62,822
GS-9 145 $80,012 $75,074–$84,751
GS-11 163 $96,843 $91,145–$105,389
GS-12 91 $122,899 $112,657–$129,728
GS-13 40 $142,084 $133,964–$150,203

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

Museum Specialist and Technician pay by agency

Museum Specialist and Technician pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Smithsonian Institution 327 $102,540 $85,447–$122,899
Department of the Interior 137 $53,824 $46,137–$66,676
National Archives and Records Administration 32 $84,638 $64,344–$93,994

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

Museum Specialist and Technician pay by state

The 2 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Museum Specialist and Technician pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
District of Columbia 269 $102,540 $85,447–$126,313
Maryland 60 $99,692 $85,099–$117,778

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

Compare museum specialist and technician pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +0.6% from $90,568 in September 2025 to $91,145 in September 2026. Headcount went from 680 to 644 (−5.3%). 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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