U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) / Department of Interior / Museum Curator

Job-title file

Museum Curator

Carry out the duties of this position in support of the agency's public mission.

168 employees hold this title in Department of Interior. Median total compensation for the role is $94,317, above the department median of $87,331.

Employees: 168
Total payroll: $16.4M
Role median: $94,317
Agency median: $87,331
Comparison: Above

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$57,594$156,377+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 168 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compared with the local labor market

Museum Curator pay vs. the United States

Across all employers in the United States, the median wage for Curators — about 12,150 people — is $63,420. Department of Interior pays a median base salary of $94,317 for this role, 49% above that figure — about the 82nd percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Department of Interior sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$40,470

$48,870

$63,420

$83,080

$107,140

Department of Interior median · $94,317

The bar is the range of annual wages for Curators across every employer in the United States, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Department of Interior’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

Median total compensation for this role at Department of Interior is $94,317, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)

Museum Curator is held in 11 U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) departments. In Department of Interior, the median of $94,317 ranks #11 of 11.

Highest-paying departments for this role

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

$181,216 · 4

Department of State

$152,093 · 12

Department of Veterans Affairs

$150,713 · 1

Department of Treasury

$149,422 · 3

Smithsonian Institution

$145,489 · 134

Department of Commerce

$144,127 · 1

Presidio Trust

$133,864 · 1

Nat Archives and Records Administration

$127,902 · 12

Department of Health and Human Services

$123,478 · 4

Department of Homeland Security

$114,078 · 2

Median total compensation for the Museum Curator role in other U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)departments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Compare jurisdictions

Museum Curator beyond U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)

This role is reported in 3 jurisdictions. In U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense), the median of $117,681 ranks #1 of 3. See Museum Curator across all of U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

California

$77,573 · 30

Tennessee

$60,441 · 6

Median total compensation for comparable Museum Curatorroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Jennifer Clark

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$92,022

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $92,022
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $92,022
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Saint Louis
Work county: Saint Louis
Work state: Missouri

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $92,022
Basic Pay (before locality): $76,922
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 297080510
Length of Service (Years): 3
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Jennifer Clark holds the role of Museum Curator at Department of Interior based in Saint Louis, Missouri. In 2024, their total compensation was $92,022. Their pay grade is 12.

Katherine Craine

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$91,582

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $91,582
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $91,582
Pay grade: 09
Work city: New York - New York
Work county: New York
Work state: New York

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $91,582
Basic Pay (before locality): $66,731
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 364170061
Length of Service (Years): 31
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Interior, Katherine Craine serves as a Museum Curator based in New York - New York, New York. Their 2024 pay totaled $91,582. They are classified at grade 09.

Justin Giles

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$91,039

Sub-department: Indian Affairs
Base pay: $91,039
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $91,039
Pay grade: 11
Work city: Reston
Work county: Fairfax
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $91,039
Basic Pay (before locality): $68,317
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 512034059
Length of Service (Years): 3
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Justin Giles holds the role of Museum Curator at Department of Interior based in Reston, Virginia. In 2024, their total compensation was $91,039. Their pay grade is 11.

Janet Folkerts

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$91,039

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $91,039
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $91,039
Pay grade: 11
Work city: Washington
Work county: District of Columbia
Work state: District of Columbia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $91,039
Basic Pay (before locality): $68,317
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 110010001
Length of Service (Years): 11
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Janet Folkerts holds the role of Museum Curator at Department of Interior based in Washington, District of Columbia. In 2024, their total compensation was $91,039. Their pay grade is 11.

Emmanuel Dabney

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$90,751

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $90,751
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $90,751
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Petersburg
Work county: Petersburg
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $90,751
Basic Pay (before locality): $74,441
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 511910730
Length of Service (Years): 18
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Emmanuel Dabney holds the role of Museum Curator at Department of Interior based in Petersburg, Virginia. In 2024, their total compensation was $90,751. Their pay grade is 12.

Rhonda Brewer

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$90,423

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $90,423
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $90,423
Pay grade: 11
Work city: Pecos
Work county: San Miguel
Work state: New Mexico

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $90,423
Basic Pay (before locality): $76,597
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 350630047
Length of Service (Years): 30
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Rhonda Brewer holds the role of Museum Curator at Department of Interior based in Pecos, New Mexico. In 2024, their total compensation was $90,423. Their pay grade is 11.

Molly Conley

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$90,151

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $90,151
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $90,151
Pay grade: 11
Work city: Anchorage
Work county: Anchorage
Work state: Alaska

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $90,151
Basic Pay (before locality): $68,317
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 020130020
Length of Service (Years): 4
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Interior, Molly Conley serves as a Museum Curator based in Anchorage, Alaska. Their 2024 pay totaled $90,151. They are classified at grade 11.

Cheryl Waldrep

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$89,481

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $89,481
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $89,481
Pay grade: 11
Work city: Natchez
Work county: Adams
Work state: Mississippi

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $89,481
Basic Pay (before locality): $76,597
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 281720001
Length of Service (Years): 16
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Cheryl Waldrep is a Museum Curator at Department of Interior based in Natchez, Mississippi. 2024 total compensation came to $89,481. They are classified at grade 11.

Baird Todd

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$89,481

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $89,481
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $89,481
Pay grade: 11
Work city: Townsend
Work county: Blount
Work state: Tennessee

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $89,481
Basic Pay (before locality): $76,597
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 472410009
Length of Service (Years): 20
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Baird Todd holds the role of Museum Curator at Department of Interior based in Townsend, Tennessee. In 2024, their total compensation was $89,481. Their pay grade is 11.

Kristen Stalling

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$88,426

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $88,426
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,426
Pay grade: 11
Work city: Independence
Work county: Jackson
Work state: Missouri

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $88,426
Basic Pay (before locality): $74,527
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 293940095
Length of Service (Years): 24
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Kristen Stalling holds the role of Museum Curator at Department of Interior based in Independence, Missouri. In 2024, their total compensation was $88,426. Their pay grade is 11.

Sara Berry

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$88,281

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $88,281
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $88,281
Pay grade: 11
Work city: Washington
Work county: District of Columbia
Work state: District of Columbia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $88,281
Basic Pay (before locality): $66,247
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 110010001
Length of Service (Years): 6
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Sara Berry is a Museum Curator at Department of Interior based in Washington, District of Columbia. 2024 total compensation came to $88,281. They are classified at grade 11.

Deborah Miller

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$87,822

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $87,822
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $87,822
Pay grade: 11
Work city: Philadelphia
Work county: Philadelphia
Work state: Pennsylvania

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $87,822
Basic Pay (before locality): $68,317
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 426540101
Length of Service (Years): 12
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Interior, Deborah Miller serves as a Museum Curator based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their 2024 pay totaled $87,822. They are classified at grade 11.

Jessica Fry

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$87,796

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $87,796
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $87,796
Pay grade: 12
Work city: Omaha
Work county: Douglas
Work state: Nebraska

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $87,796
Basic Pay (before locality): $74,441
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 313620055
Length of Service (Years): 10
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Jessica Fry is a Museum Curator at Department of Interior based in Omaha, Nebraska. 2024 total compensation came to $87,796. They are classified at grade 12.

Nicole Walsh

Museum Curator/Department of Interior

2024 total comp

$87,426

Sub-department: National Park Service
Base pay: $87,426
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $87,426
Pay grade: 11
Work city: Concord
Work county: Middlesex
Work state: Massachusetts

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $87,426
Basic Pay (before locality): $66,247
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 250240017
Length of Service (Years): 14
Occupation Code (OPM): 1015
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Nicole Walsh is a Museum Curator at Department of Interior based in Concord, Massachusetts. 2024 total compensation came to $87,426. They are classified at grade 11.