Curators Salary
Curators in Lincoln, NE make a median of $56,820 a year, or about $27.32 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.58), which stretches that salary to about $62,044 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,141/month, about 30.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Lincoln?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lincoln’s Regional Price Parity (91.58). 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 Lincoln
Curators pay in Lincoln tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $63K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,141/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.58 (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 Lincoln, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Omaha | $77K | $84K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $78K | , |
| St. Louis | $62K | $65K |
| Kansas City | $60K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lincoln, NE
Entry-level curators (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $30K 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 Lincoln numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a curator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lincoln?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 30.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,141/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for curators in Lincoln?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new curators typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,907/month. At HUD’s $1,141/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Lincoln?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $63K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Lincoln compare to the national average for curators?
Lincoln pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do curators make in Lincoln, NE?
The median is $56,820 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,450, and experienced curators can clear $78,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Lincoln?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,792/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,141/month, which eats 30.1% 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 Lincoln?
Lincoln has a Regional Price Parity of 91.58 (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 $62,044 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.