Curators Salary in Madison, WI
Curators in Madison, WI make a median of $63,900 a year, or about $30.72 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $93K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $65,680 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 27.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $64K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). 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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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level curators (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $93K or more, a $43K spread from bottom to top.
Curators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $82K | +33% | 140 |
| New York | $79K | +28% | 1,270 |
| California | $79K | +27% | 1,180 |
| Massachusetts | $76K | +23% | 440 |
| Rhode Island | $75K | +21% | 80 |
| Connecticut | $73K | +19% | 200 |
| Nevada | $67K | +9% | 130 |
| Washington | $66K | +7% | 260 |
| New Jersey | $66K | +7% | 140 |
| Alaska | $65K | +5% | 80 |
| Michigan | $64K | +4% | 360 |
| Arizona | $64K | +3% | 100 |
| South Dakota | $64K | +3% | 50 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | +3% | 590 |
| Hawaii | $62K | +1% | 80 |
| Kansas | $62K | +0% | 90 |
| Wisconsin | $62K | -0% | 250 |
| Maryland | $61K | -1% | 200 |
| Minnesota | $61K | -1% | 170 |
| Illinois | $61K | -1% | 570 |
| New Mexico | $61K | -2% | 150 |
| Virginia | $60K | -3% | 440 |
| Idaho | $60K | -3% | 60 |
| Texas | $59K | -4% | 610 |
| Ohio | $59K | -5% | 320 |
| Alabama | $58K | -5% | 170 |
| Missouri | $58K | -6% | 230 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -7% | 120 |
| Louisiana | $56K | -10% | 180 |
| Florida | $56K | -10% | 510 |
| Tennessee | $55K | -10% | 200 |
| Vermont | $55K | -10% | 70 |
| Oregon | $55K | -10% | 150 |
| Arkansas | $55K | -11% | 90 |
| Indiana | $54K | -13% | 180 |
| New Hampshire | $53K | -14% | 50 |
| Nebraska | $53K | -14% | 110 |
| Iowa | $52K | -15% | 200 |
| Wyoming | $51K | -17% | 80 |
| Delaware | $51K | -17% | 70 |
| Kentucky | $51K | -18% | 130 |
| Georgia | $51K | -18% | 240 |
| West Virginia | $51K | -18% | 40 |
| Maine | $51K | -18% | 140 |
| North Carolina | $50K | -19% | 570 |
| Utah | $50K | -19% | 90 |
| Montana | $49K | -21% | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -22% | 220 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 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 Madison numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do curators make in Madison, WI?
The median is $63,900 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,680, and experienced curators can clear $92,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,250/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 27.5% 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 Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (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 $65,680 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.