Curators Salary
Curators in Birmingham, AL make a median of $69,990 a year, or about $33.65 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $123K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.64), which stretches that salary to about $76,375 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,266/month, or 27.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $70K actually covers in Birmingham, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Birmingham’s Regional Price Parity (91.64). 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 Birmingham
Curators pay in Birmingham tracks closely to the national median, $70K locally vs. $63K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,266/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for curators in metros near Birmingham, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery | $57K | $63K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $61K | $61K |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $61K | $53K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $64K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Birmingham, AL
Entry-level curators (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $123K or more, a $78K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Birmingham numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a curator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Birmingham?
Yes — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 28% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,266/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for curators in Birmingham?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new curators typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,057/month. At HUD’s $1,266/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Birmingham?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $70K locally vs. $63K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Birmingham compare to the national average for curators?
Birmingham pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do curators make in Birmingham, AL?
The median is $69,990 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,760, and experienced curators can clear $123,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in Birmingham?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,524/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,266/month, which eats 28% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a curators salary go in Birmingham?
Birmingham has a Regional Price Parity of 91.64 (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 $76,375 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.