Museum Attendants

The range of compensation for museum positions depends on the museum's size, mission, operating budget, staffing requirements, and the metropolitan area in which it is located. Depending on full- or part-time employment status, museum attendants' salaries vary greatly, but typically begin at the rate of $7.25 to $10 per hour in institutions with operational budgets below $1 million. In March 2020, the average annual salary for full-time museum attendants was $24,972, according to ZipRecruiter.com. Salaries ranged from $16,000 or less to $43,500 or more.

Salaries for some museum attendants are comparable to those of security guards, who had median annual earnings of $28,490 in May 2018 according to the U.S. Department of Labor; salaries ranged from less than $20,290 to $49,650 or more. Receptionists and information clerks had median annual earnings of $29,140 in May 2018.

Fringe benefits, including paid vacations and sick leave, medical and dental insurance, and retirement plans, depend on employment status as well as on the operational budget and size of the employing institution. Company-paid medical and health insurance may not be available to part-time workers and may not be available even to full-time staff in small museums. Federal museums are more likely than nonfederal museums to offer health and retirement benefits.