Curators pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,620 a year or less, while the top 10% make $151,260 or more. The middle half of curators in San Francisco earn between $78,700 and $110,510.
- $62K10th
- $79K25th
- $91KMedian
- $111K75th
- $151K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $98,200 | $8,183 | $47.21 |
| Median | $90,800 | $7,567 | $43.65 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $78,700 | $6,558 | $37.84 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $110,510 | $9,209 | $53.13 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Curators salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $98,200, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $72,873 a year, or $6,073 a month and $2,803 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Francisco a good place for curators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $98,200 buys what about $84,939 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 11.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Curators salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 1st of 6 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- San Francisco$98,200
- San Diego$88,290
- Los Angeles$85,350
- Sacramento$84,900
- Riverside$75,370
- Santa Maria$72,660
Highest-paying cities for curators
New York, NY pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($99,910).
- New York, NY$99,910
- New Haven, CT$99,830
- San Francisco, CA$98,200
- Ann Arbor, MI$95,110
- Washington, DC$93,030
Does this match what you are paid?
Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.
Share your pay anonymously
Curators salary in San Francisco: questions
How much do curators make an hour in San Francisco?
$47.21 an hour on average, and $43.66 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level curators salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,620 a year and the 25th percentile is $78,700, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the curators take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $72,873 a year ($6,073 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $98,200. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do curators earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 27% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($77,297).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 25-4012; area San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.27, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.