Museums — Average Employee Salary

The average employee in the museums industry earns $48,610 per year ($23.37/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.

$48,610
Avg Annual Pay
97,558
Total Employees
5,192
Total Establishments
19
Avg Employees/Business

What Do Museums Workers Earn?

At $48,610/year (equivalent to $23.37/hour for a full-time worker), museums wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.

Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.

The typical museums business employs 19 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.

Wages as a Percentage of Revenue

56.9%

For the average museums business generating $1.6M/year with 19 employees at $48,610 each, total payroll represents roughly 56.9% of revenue. This is a labor-intensive industry — payroll is the dominant expense.

What This Means for Business Owners

If you're starting or running a museumsbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:

  • Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $63,193/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
  • Typical team size: 19 employees = ~$923,590/year in base payroll.
  • Hourly equivalent: $23.37/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
  • Revenue needed: With average revenue of $1.6M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.

See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.

View full Museums revenue benchmarks →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do museums employees make?
The average museums employee earns $48,610 per year, which is equivalent to $23.37/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
How many people work in the museums industry?
The museums industry employs 97,558 workers across 5,192 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 19 employees.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).