Museum Technicians and Conservators Salary
The median pay for a museum technicians and conservators in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA is $61,040/year ($29.35/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $93K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.44), so that salary is closer to $57,347 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,201/month, about 55.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $61K actually covers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario’s Regional Price Parity (106.44). 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario sits well above the national pay line for museum technicians and conservators, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,201/month, which is 53.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.44), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for museum technicians and conservators in metros near Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $75K | $65K |
| 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, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Entry-level museum technicians and conservators (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $93K or more, a $55K 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 annually. We'll email you when Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a museum technicians and conservator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 53.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,201/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new museum technicians and conservators typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,704/month. At HUD’s $2,201/month FMR, rent would take 81% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $61K here vs. $51K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario compare to the national average for museum technicians and conservators?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do museum technicians and conservators make in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?
The median is $61,040 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,760, and experienced museum technicians and conservators can clear $93,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,092/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,201/month, which eats 53.8% 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 museum technicians and conservators salary go in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario has a Regional Price Parity of 106.44 (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 $57,347 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.