Prevailing Wage for Curators
Prevailing wage for Curators (SOC 25-4012) is set by DOL and determines the minimum salary a sponsored Collections Curator, Collections Manager, or Exhibitions Curator must receive. DOL publishes four experience levels, and the floor shifts considerably by city, so a sponsored role in San Francisco or New York pays far more than the national median.
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Level 1 covers entry-level curators with limited museum or collections experience, typically fresh from a graduate program. Work is closely supervised, tasks are routine, and independent curatorial judgment is minimal. Employers filing at this level are generally onboarding candidates who are still building domain expertise.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for curators. It fits professionals with a few years of collections or exhibitions experience who work with moderate supervision, manage discrete projects, and apply standard curatorial methods without requiring constant direction from senior staff.
Level 3 applies to experienced curators who exercise significant independent judgment, lead exhibition development or acquisitions programs, and may supervise junior staff or interns. These professionals typically bring seven or more years of specialized collections or museum practice.
Level 4 covers senior or lead curators who set institutional direction for collections, manage major acquisitions budgets, represent the institution externally, and mentor staff. Employers filing at this level expect candidates to function as subject-matter authorities with full professional autonomy.
Prevailing Wage for Curators by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Curators and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch for title aliasing in museum filings
Job titles like Collections Specialist, Registrar, or Archives Manager are sometimes filed under different SOC codes, pulling them below the curator prevailing wage floor. Confirm that your offer's LCA cites SOC 25-4012 before accepting.
Expect wide metro gaps in this occupation
Curator wages span a steep range across cities. San Francisco and Ann Arbor entry-level floors exceed the national Level 3 median, while markets like Baton Rouge post Level 1 floors far below the national median. Your worksite city on the LCA is what controls the floor, not your employer's headquarters.
Find employers with curator sponsorship history on Migrate Mate
Museums, universities, and research institutions vary widely in willingness to sponsor. Migrate Mate shows which employers have actually sponsored curators before, so you can target institutions with a real track record rather than organizations filing for the first time.
Verify your level before negotiating salary
Many curators with graduate degrees and two to four years of collections work qualify at Level 2, not Level 1. Accepting a Level 1 filing when your experience warrants Level 2 locks in a lower floor and may undervalue your offer relative to the DOL wage survey for your metro.
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Find Jobs for CuratorsPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-4012.00 alongside Curators, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Collections Curator Prevailing Wage
Collections Curator Prevailing Wage
Collections Curator positions fall under SOC 25-4012.00 (Curators). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Collections Manager Prevailing Wage
Collections Manager Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Collections Manager for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-4012.00 (Curators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Education Curator Prevailing Wage
Education Curator Prevailing Wage
Education Curator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-4012.00 (Curators). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Exhibitions Curator Prevailing Wage
Exhibitions Curator Prevailing Wage
Exhibitions Curator positions fall under SOC 25-4012.00 (Curators). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Exhibits Curator Prevailing Wage
Exhibits Curator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Exhibits Curator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-4012.00 (Curators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Museum Curator Prevailing Wage
Museum Curator Prevailing Wage
Museum Curator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-4012.00 (Curators). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Photography Curator Prevailing Wage
Photography Curator Prevailing Wage
Photography Curator positions fall under SOC 25-4012.00 (Curators). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Vertebrate Zoology Curator Prevailing Wage
Vertebrate Zoology Curator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Vertebrate Zoology Curator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-4012.00 (Curators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Curators?
DOL calculates prevailing wages for curators using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metro areas. OFLC publishes the resulting wage tables by SOC code and geographic area. For curators, SOC 25-4012 is the controlling code, and DOL updates the figures annually. Employers sponsoring a curator must pay at least the prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
DOL assigns one of four levels based on experience, supervision, and complexity of work. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision. Level 2 is qualified, reflecting standard professional work with moderate oversight, and is the most common filing level for this occupation. Level 3 is experienced and involves substantial independent judgment. Level 4 is fully competent, covering senior curators with broad authority. Your level should reflect your actual responsibilities, not just years of experience.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same curator role vary so much by city?
DOL derives prevailing wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, which capture local labor market conditions. A curator position in a high-cost metro with dense museum and university employers commands a higher wage floor than the same title in a smaller market. The worksite address on the LCA determines which metro's wage applies, regardless of where the employer is headquartered. This is why two curators with identical titles and experience can have very different compliance floors.
What happens if a job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored curator position?
If the offered salary falls below the DOL prevailing wage for the applicable level and metro, USCIS can deny the H-1B or other sponsored visa petition. For PERM-based green card cases, OFLC will reject an LCA that does not meet the wage floor. The employer must either increase the offered salary to meet the floor or refile at the correct wage level before the petition can proceed.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Curators role in a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 25-4012 for your target metro and wage level. This returns the current DOL-published prevailing wage directly. You can also reference O*NET for occupational detail that confirms the SOC code applies to your specific role and title. To identify which employers are actively sponsoring curators and filter by location, Migrate Mate lists jobs from institutions with verified sponsorship history.
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