Museum Technicians and Conservators Salary
The median pay for a museum technicians and conservators in Montana is $42,390/year ($20.38/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $43,701 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 39% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Montana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $42K get you in Montana?
About museum technicians and conservators
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What this looks like in Montana
Pay for museum technicians and conservators in Montana runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 39% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level museum technicians and conservators (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $31K spread from bottom to top.
Museum Technicians and Conservators salary by metro in Montana
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman | $44K | +3% | 30 |
Compare to other states
Track museum technicians and conservators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Montana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a museum technicians and conservator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 39% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/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 Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new museum technicians and conservators typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,888/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Montana?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $42K here vs. $51K nationally.
How does Montana compare to the national average for museum technicians and conservators?
Montana pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do museum technicians and conservators make in Montana?
The median is $42,390 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,470, and experienced museum technicians and conservators can clear $62,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,892/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 39% 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 Montana?
Montana has a Regional Price Parity of 97 (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 $43,701 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.