Museum Technicians and Conservators Salary
The median pay for a museum technicians and conservators in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI is $45,870/year ($22.06/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.55), that's roughly $48,006 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,519/month, about 48.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood’s Regional Price Parity (95.55). 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 museum technicians and conservators
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What this looks like in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood
Pay for museum technicians and conservators in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,519/month, which is 49.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for museum technicians and conservatorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for museum technicians and conservators in metros near Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $45K | $45K |
| Ann Arbor | $34K | $33K |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $46K | $48K |
| Cleveland | $48K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
Entry-level museum technicians and conservators (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Museum Technicians and Conservators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Museum Technicians and Conservators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $77K | +49% | 450 |
| District of Columbia | $76K | +48% | 520 |
| New York | $75K | +45% | 1,050 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +21% | 280 |
| California | $62K | +20% | 1,610 |
| Alaska | $61K | +18% | 60 |
| Washington | $60K | +16% | 280 |
| Massachusetts | $59K | +14% | 440 |
| Illinois | $57K | +10% | 400 |
| New Mexico | $57K | +10% | 100 |
| Nevada | $56K | +10% | 70 |
| Wyoming | $56K | +10% | 60 |
| Rhode Island | $55K | +8% | 70 |
| Florida | $53K | +4% | 250 |
| Virginia | $52K | +1% | 310 |
| Colorado | $52K | +1% | 290 |
| Iowa | $52K | +1% | 100 |
| Minnesota | $50K | -3% | 170 |
| Kentucky | $50K | -3% | 80 |
| Georgia | $49K | -4% | 150 |
| Missouri | $49K | -4% | 850 |
| Maine | $48K | -6% | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -7% | 190 |
| Ohio | $48K | -8% | 350 |
| Pennsylvania | $47K | -8% | 310 |
| Arizona | $47K | -9% | 90 |
| Indiana | $46K | -10% | 290 |
| Kansas | $46K | -10% | 130 |
| Texas | $46K | -11% | 670 |
| Oregon | $46K | -11% | 170 |
| Tennessee | $45K | -13% | 210 |
| New Jersey | $44K | -15% | 110 |
| Idaho | $44K | -15% | 40 |
| Montana | $42K | -18% | 120 |
| Nebraska | $42K | -18% | 60 |
| Arkansas | $41K | -20% | 110 |
| Hawaii | $40K | -22% | 140 |
| North Carolina | $39K | -24% | 450 |
| Michigan | $39K | -24% | 340 |
| Wisconsin | $39K | -24% | 160 |
| Alabama | $38K | -25% | 130 |
| South Carolina | $38K | -26% | 90 |
| Delaware | $38K | -26% | 60 |
| Utah | $35K | -31% | 100 |
| Louisiana | $32K | -37% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 45 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track museum technicians and conservators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a museum technicians and conservator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 49.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,519/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for museum technicians and conservators in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new museum technicians and conservators typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,189/month. At HUD’s $1,519/month FMR, rent would take 69% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is museum technicians and conservator a high-paying job in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $46K here vs. $51K nationally.
How does Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood compare to the national average for museum technicians and conservators?
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do museum technicians and conservators make in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI?
The median is $45,870 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,480, and experienced museum technicians and conservators can clear $60,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,079/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,519/month, which eats 49.3% 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 museum technicians and conservators salary go in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood has a Regional Price Parity of 95.55 (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 museum technicians and conservators salary is worth about $48,006 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do museum technicians and conservators 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.