Curators Salary
Curators in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO make a median of $77,700 a year, or about $37.36 an hour. The range runs from $55K at the entry level to $107K for experienced workers.
So what does $78K get you in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
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Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for curators in metros near Denver-Aurora-Centennial, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City | $61K | $67K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $84K | $81K |
| Albuquerque | $64K | $67K |
| Omaha | $77K | $84K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Entry-level curators (10th percentile) start around $55K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $107K or more, a $52K 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
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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a curator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 41.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,044/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for curators in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new curators typically earn — is $55K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,327/month.
Is curator a high-paying job in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Local pay is 23% above the national median — $78K here vs. $63K nationally.
How does Denver-Aurora-Centennial compare to the national average for curators?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s +23%.
How much do curators make in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
The median is $77,700 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $55,450, and experienced curators can clear $107,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,969/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 41.1% 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median curators salary is worth about $77,700 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.