Curators Salary
Curators in Texas make a median of $59,990 a year, or about $28.84 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $94K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $65,570 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 34% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $60K get you in Texas?
About curators
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What this looks like in Texas
Curators pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $60K locally vs. $63K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,415/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level curators (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $94K or more, a $51K spread from bottom to top.
Curators salary by metro in Texas
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $75K | +25% | 150 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $63K | +6% | 100 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $60K | +1% | 50 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $57K | -5% | 150 |
Compare to other states
Track curators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a curator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 33.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for curators in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new curators typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,582/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $63K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for curators?
Texas pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do curators make in Texas?
The median is $59,990 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,040, and experienced curators can clear $93,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,187/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 33.8% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $65,570 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.