Museum Technicians and Conservators Salary
The median pay for a museum technicians and conservators in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA is $52,050/year ($25.02/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $72K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $49,374 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 56.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Museum technicians and conservators pay in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro tracks closely to the national median, $52K locally vs. $51K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,922/month, which is 57.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for museum technicians and conservators in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $61K | $53K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $75K | $65K |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $61K | $55K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $57K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level museum technicians and conservators (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $72K or more, a $35K 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a museum technicians and conservator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 57.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new museum technicians and conservators typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,220/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 87% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $52K locally vs. $51K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for museum technicians and conservators?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do museum technicians and conservators make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $52,050 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,000, and experienced museum technicians and conservators can clear $72,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,319/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 57.9% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (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 museum technicians and conservators salary is worth about $49,374 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.