Curators Salary
Curators in Montgomery, AL make a median of $56,720 a year, or about $27.27 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.68), which stretches that salary to about $63,247 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,016/month, or 27.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $57K actually covers in Montgomery, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Montgomery’s Regional Price Parity (89.68). 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 Montgomery
Pay for curators in Montgomery runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $63K. Rent runs $1,016/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.68 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for curators in metros near Montgomery, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $61K | $61K |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $61K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montgomery, AL
Entry-level curators (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $43K 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery?
Yes — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 27.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,016/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for curators in Montgomery?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new curators typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,745/month. At HUD’s $1,016/month FMR, rent would take 37% 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 Montgomery?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $57K here vs. $63K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Montgomery compare to the national average for curators?
Montgomery pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.68), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — below the national median.
How much do curators make in Montgomery, AL?
The median is $56,720 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,800, and experienced curators can clear $83,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Montgomery?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,745/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,016/month, which eats 27.1% 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 Montgomery?
Montgomery has a Regional Price Parity of 89.68 (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 $63,247 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.