Curators Salary
Curators in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY make a median of $82,640 a year, or about $39.73 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $128K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.57), that's roughly $82,997 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,702/month, about 32.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $83K actually covers in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Albany-Schenectady-Troy’s Regional Price Parity (99.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About curators
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What this looks like in Albany-Schenectady-Troy
Albany-Schenectady-Troy sits well above the national pay line for curators, local pay runs about 30% higher than the U.S. median of $63K. Rent runs $1,702/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 99.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for curators in metros near Albany-Schenectady-Troy, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $83K | $74K |
| Rochester | $59K | $61K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $55K | $58K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $74K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Entry-level curators (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $83K. Top earners bring in $128K or more, a $85K spread from bottom to top.
Curators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Curators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $93K | +47% | 140 |
| New Hampshire | $82K | +30% | 60 |
| New York | $79K | +25% | 1,330 |
| California | $79K | +24% | 1,140 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +23% | 70 |
| New Jersey | $78K | +23% | 120 |
| Massachusetts | $78K | +23% | 370 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +21% | 190 |
| South Dakota | $75K | +18% | 50 |
| Washington | $74K | +17% | 260 |
| Colorado | $74K | +16% | 300 |
| Nevada | $70K | +10% | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | +1% | 300 |
| Alaska | $64K | +1% | 90 |
| Maryland | $64K | +1% | 170 |
| New Mexico | $64K | +0% | 140 |
| Ohio | $64K | +0% | 370 |
| Arizona | $64K | +0% | 150 |
| Michigan | $63K | -0% | 360 |
| Illinois | $63K | -1% | 410 |
| Oregon | $63K | -1% | 260 |
| Idaho | $62K | -2% | 50 |
| Pennsylvania | $62K | -2% | 520 |
| Wyoming | $62K | -2% | 90 |
| Alabama | $61K | -4% | 150 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -5% | 150 |
| Louisiana | $60K | -5% | 160 |
| Texas | $60K | -5% | 690 |
| Missouri | $60K | -5% | 260 |
| Utah | $60K | -6% | 50 |
| Florida | $60K | -6% | 420 |
| Nebraska | $59K | -8% | 120 |
| Virginia | $58K | -8% | 450 |
| Georgia | $58K | -9% | 230 |
| Tennessee | $58K | -9% | 190 |
| Delaware | $57K | -10% | 60 |
| Kansas | $57K | -11% | 120 |
| Vermont | $57K | -11% | 60 |
| Maine | $56K | -11% | 110 |
| Kentucky | $55K | -13% | 130 |
| Montana | $54K | -14% | 100 |
| Minnesota | $54K | -15% | 220 |
| Indiana | $54K | -15% | 220 |
| Arkansas | $54K | -15% | 80 |
| Iowa | $54K | -15% | 230 |
| Hawaii | $51K | -20% | 140 |
| North Carolina | $49K | -22% | 600 |
| South Carolina | $47K | -26% | 120 |
| Mississippi | $41K | -36% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track curators salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Albany-Schenectady-Troy numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a curator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $83K, rent takes 32.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,702/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for curators in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new curators typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,900/month. At HUD’s $1,702/month FMR, rent would take 59% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is curator a high-paying job in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Local pay is 30% above the national median — $83K here vs. $63K nationally.
How does Albany-Schenectady-Troy compare to the national average for curators?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy pays $83K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s +30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $83K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do curators make in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?
The median is $82,640 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,960, and experienced curators can clear $127,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $83K enough to live in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,215/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,702/month, which eats 32.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a curators salary go in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy has a Regional Price Parity of 99.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median curators salary is worth about $82,997 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do curators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.