Prevailing Wage for Museum Technicians and Conservators
Prevailing wage for Museum Technicians and Conservators is set by DOL under SOC 25-4013, covering roles filed as Conservator, Art Preparator, Conservation Technician, and related titles. DOL establishes four experience-based wage levels, and the floor varies significantly by worksite city, so a single national figure tells only part of the story.
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Level 1 applies to entry-level conservators and technicians with limited experience, typically performing routine tasks under close supervision. Workers at this level follow established procedures and have not yet developed independent judgment in preservation or collection-care work.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Museum Technicians and Conservators. It covers qualified professionals who apply standard conservation or collections-management methods with moderate oversight, typically holding a relevant degree and some prior hands-on experience in the field.
Level 3 covers experienced conservators and registrars who handle complex preservation decisions, lead project segments, or specialize in a particular material type such as textiles, paper, or biological specimens, with limited supervision and recognized expertise.
Level 4 applies to fully competent professionals in senior or lead roles, including those who oversee conservation programs, direct collections strategy, or train junior staff. This level reflects broad independent authority over museum preservation standards and practices.
Prevailing Wage for Museum Technicians and Conservators 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 Museum Technicians and Conservators and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch how federal and nonprofit employers file
Federal institutions like the Smithsonian and large nonprofit museums often file at Level 2 or Level 3 for conservators. Confirm which level your offer letter reflects before you accept, since nonprofit compensation frequently sits near the prevailing wage floor with limited upward adjustment.
Understand the Washington DC wage premium
Washington DC shows the widest spread between entry and fully competent wages for this occupation among major metros. If a federal museum or gallery is recruiting you at Level 1, the gap to the Level 4 floor in that city is substantial and worth negotiating explicitly.
Flag title mismatches before your LCA is filed
Titles like Museum Registrar or Exhibit Technician fall under SOC 25-4013 but are sometimes mis-classified under administrative or general SOC codes by employers unfamiliar with this occupation, which can result in a prevailing wage that does not reflect actual conservation duties.
Search Migrate Mate for verified conservation sponsors
Migrate Mate lists employers with documented H-1B and green card sponsorship history for conservators and collection-care roles, so you can target institutions that have successfully sponsored this occupation rather than relying on general museum job boards.
Jobs for Museum Technicians and Conservators are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-4013.00 alongside Museum Technicians and Conservators, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Art Preparator Prevailing Wage
Art Preparator Prevailing Wage
Art Preparator positions fall under SOC 25-4013.00 (Museum Technicians and Conservators). 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.
Conservation Technician Prevailing Wage
Conservation Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Conservation Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-4013.00 (Museum Technicians and Conservators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Conservator Prevailing Wage
Conservator Prevailing Wage
Conservator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-4013.00 (Museum Technicians and Conservators). 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.
Exhibit Technician Prevailing Wage
Exhibit Technician Prevailing Wage
Exhibit Technician positions fall under SOC 25-4013.00 (Museum Technicians and Conservators). 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.
Museum Registrar Prevailing Wage
Museum Registrar Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Museum Registrar for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-4013.00 (Museum Technicians and Conservators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Museum Technician Prevailing Wage
Museum Technician Prevailing Wage
Museum Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-4013.00 (Museum Technicians and Conservators). 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.
Objects Conservator Prevailing Wage
Objects Conservator Prevailing Wage
Objects Conservator positions fall under SOC 25-4013.00 (Museum Technicians and Conservators). 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.
Paintings Conservator Prevailing Wage
Paintings Conservator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Paintings Conservator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-4013.00 (Museum Technicians and Conservators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Paper Conservator Prevailing Wage
Paper Conservator Prevailing Wage
Paper Conservator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-4013.00 (Museum Technicians and Conservators). 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.
Preparator Prevailing Wage
Preparator Prevailing Wage
Preparator positions fall under SOC 25-4013.00 (Museum Technicians and Conservators). 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Museum Technicians and Conservators?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from employer surveys. For SOC 25-4013, those survey responses are sorted into four wage levels based on experience and responsibility. OFLC publishes the resulting figures annually, and employers must use the level that matches the actual duties and qualifications described in the job offer.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
The four levels reflect increasing experience and independence. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision. Level 2 is a qualified professional applying standard methods. Level 3 is an experienced specialist with limited oversight. Level 4 is fully competent with senior or lead responsibilities. Your level should match the duties and minimum qualifications written into your job offer and the Labor Condition Application, not simply your years of experience.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role differ so much by city?
DOL uses regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data, so the prevailing wage reflects actual employer pay in each local labor market. A conservator position in Washington DC or New York draws on a dense concentration of federal institutions and major museums with higher compensation, while smaller metros like San Antonio or Charleston show much lower survey averages. The worksite address on the LCA determines which metro's wage floor applies, not where the employer is headquartered.
What happens if a job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer filing an LCA must certify to DOL that the offered wage meets or exceeds the prevailing wage for the occupation and worksite. If the offer falls short, DOL can reject or invalidate the LCA, which blocks the visa petition entirely. For green card PERM cases, USCIS also requires that the offered wage clear the prevailing wage floor. An underpaying offer is not a minor gap that can be fixed later in the process.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current prevailing wage for SOC 25-4013 at a specific metropolitan area. Select the appropriate wage year, enter the SOC code, and choose your worksite metro. Cross-reference with the O*NET occupation profile for title and duty alignment. Migrate Mate can also help you identify which employers have sponsored conservator and museum technician roles in specific cities, so you can compare offers against actual filing history.
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