Curators Salary
Curators in Providence-Warwick, RI-MA make a median of $77,670 a year, or about $37.34 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.77), that's roughly $76,319 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,729/month, about 34.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $78K get you in Providence-Warwick?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Providence-Warwick’s Regional Price Parity (101.77). 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 Providence-Warwick
Providence-Warwick sits well above the national pay line for curators, local pay runs about 22% higher than the U.S. median of $63K. Rent runs $1,729/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 101.77) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for curators in metros near Providence-Warwick, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town-Northampton | $79K | $79K |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $79K | $73K |
| New Haven | $102K | $98K |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $64K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
Entry-level curators (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $62K 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 Providence-Warwick numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a curator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Providence-Warwick?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 34.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,729/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 Providence-Warwick?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new curators typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,798/month. At HUD’s $1,729/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Providence-Warwick?
Local pay is 22% above the national median — $78K here vs. $63K nationally.
How does Providence-Warwick compare to the national average for curators?
Providence-Warwick pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s +22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.77), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do curators make in Providence-Warwick, RI-MA?
The median is $77,670 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,630, and experienced curators can clear $108,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Providence-Warwick?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,041/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,729/month, which eats 34.3% 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 Providence-Warwick?
Providence-Warwick has a Regional Price Parity of 101.77 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median curators salary is worth about $76,319 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.