Museum Technicians and Conservators Salary
The median pay for a museum technicians and conservators in Pittsburgh, PA is $37,520/year ($18.04/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $66K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.67), which stretches that salary to about $39,632 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,299/month, about 49.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Pittsburgh?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Pittsburgh’s Regional Price Parity (94.67). 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 Pittsburgh
Pay for museum technicians and conservators in Pittsburgh runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,299/month, which is 50.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.67 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Pittsburgh, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $47K | $46K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $77K | $68K |
| Cleveland | $48K | $51K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $49K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pittsburgh, PA
Entry-level museum technicians and conservators (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $66K or more, a $30K 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 with published data
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 Pittsburgh numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a museum technicians and conservator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pittsburgh?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 50.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,299/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Pittsburgh?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new museum technicians and conservators typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,125/month. At HUD’s $1,299/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Pittsburgh?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $38K here vs. $51K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Pittsburgh compare to the national average for museum technicians and conservators?
Pittsburgh pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do museum technicians and conservators make in Pittsburgh, PA?
The median is $37,520 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,410, and experienced museum technicians and conservators can clear $65,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Pittsburgh?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,586/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,299/month, which eats 50.2% 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 Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has a Regional Price Parity of 94.67 (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 $39,632 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.