Museum Technicians and Conservators Salary
The median pay for a museum technicians and conservators in Texas is $45,880/year ($22.06/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $50,148 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 42.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $46K get you in Texas?
About museum technicians and conservators
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What this looks like in Texas
Pay for museum technicians and conservators in Texas 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 $1,415/month, which is 43.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level museum technicians and conservators (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $71K or more, a $46K spread from bottom to top.
Museum Technicians and Conservators salary by metro in Texas
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $51K | +11% | 200 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $50K | +10% | 70 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $47K | +3% | 140 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $37K | -19% | 60 |
Compare to other states
Track museum technicians and conservators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a museum technicians and conservator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 43.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new museum technicians and conservators typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,486/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 95% 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 Texas?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $46K here vs. $51K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for museum technicians and conservators?
Texas pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — below the national median.
How much do museum technicians and conservators make in Texas?
The median is $45,880 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,770, and experienced museum technicians and conservators can clear $71,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,242/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 43.6% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $50,148 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.