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Head Curator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

National Gallery of Art

Museum Curator

Washington, DC · On-site +1

$169K - $197K/yr

The incumbent serves as Curator and Head in the department of Sculpture and Decorative Arts (CEA-SD), which holds an outstanding collection of works of art numbering around 3,900 works of European ...

National Gallery of Art

Museum Curator

Washington, DC · On-site +1

$169K - $197K/yr

The incumbent serves as Curator and Head in the department of Sculpture and Decorative Arts (CEA-SD), which holds an outstanding collection of works of art numbering around 3,900 works of European ...

Citian

Head of Marketing

Washington, DC · On-site

Who You Are: As the Head of Marketing at Citian, you will be responsible for coordinating our ... Create and manage a LinkedIn content calendar by curating posts from internal teams, scheduling ...

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$25.5K

$72.6K

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How much do head curator jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for head curator in the United States is $72,627.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $50,000.00 and $94,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How much do head curators make?

Head curators typically earn a salary ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 annually, depending on the size of the institution, location, and experience. Senior head curators or those working in major museums may earn higher salaries, often supplemented with benefits and professional development opportunities.

How does the head curator typically collaborate with other departments within a museum or gallery?

As a Head Curator, collaboration with other departments—such as education, marketing, conservation, and visitor services—is essential to ensure successful exhibitions and public programs. You will often work closely with education teams to develop interpretive materials, partner with marketing to promote upcoming shows, and coordinate with conservators to maintain and prepare artworks for display. Building strong interdepartmental relationships is key to creating engaging visitor experiences and achieving institutional goals.

What does a head curator do?

A head curator oversees the selection, acquisition, and organization of collections or exhibits in museums, galleries, or cultural institutions. They develop curatorial strategies, manage staff, and ensure the preservation and presentation of artworks or artifacts, often requiring knowledge of art history, conservation, and project management. The role may also involve coordinating with artists, donors, and the public, and typically requires a relevant degree and experience in curation or museum work.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a head curator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Head Curator, you need deep expertise in art history or a related field, extensive curatorial experience, and often a master’s or doctoral degree. Familiarity with collection management systems, exhibition design software, and knowledge of conservation practices are typically required. Outstanding leadership, communication, and organizational skills help in managing teams and engaging the public. These competencies are crucial for developing compelling exhibitions, preserving collections, and advancing the institution’s cultural mission.

Do head curators make a lot of money?

Head curators typically earn a salary that varies based on the institution, location, and experience, with median salaries ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 annually. Senior or highly experienced head curators at major institutions can earn higher salaries, often exceeding $100,000. The role often requires advanced knowledge of art, collections management, and leadership skills.
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Head Curator jobs near you
Infographic showing various Head Curator job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 5% Locum Tenens, 35% As Needed, 21% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 28% Nights. Highlights an 98% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $72,627 per year, or $34.9 per hour.

Museum Curator

National Gallery of Art

Washington, DC • On-site, Remote

$169K - $197K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

Summary
The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Millions of people come through our doors each year, with even more online, making us one of the most visited art museums in the world. Our renowned collection includes over 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today. Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
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The National Gallery of Art serves the nation by welcoming all people to explore and experience art, creativity and our shared humanity. The incumbent serves as Curator and Head in the department of Sculpture and Decorative Arts (CEA-SD), which holds an outstanding collection of works of art numbering around 3,900 works of European sculpture and decorative arts from the Hellenistic period to the early Twentieth Century. The incumbent reports to the Senior Curator of European Art (CE), who reports to the National Gallery's Chief Curatorial and Conservation Officer (CCCO).
Duties for this position include
  • Proposes, organizes, and oversees the development of major and focused exhibitions of European sculpture and decorative arts from the National Gallery's collections and through domestic and international loans. Directs scholarly exhibition planning, authors or edits catalogues, and collaborates with guest scholars and internal departments.
  • Manages the permanent collection of European sculpture and decorative arts through close collaboration with Conservation, Registration, Design and Installation, Imaging, and Interpretation. Oversees installations, object research, cataloguing, conservation priorities, interpretive materials, and outgoing loans.
  • Develops and implements collection strategies for European sculpture and decorative arts. Identifies acquisition opportunities, prepares acquisition proposals, cultivates relationships with collectors, dealers, donors, and scholars, and collaborates with Advancement to secure gifts and acquisition funding.
  • Conducts and oversees advanced scholarly research on European sculpture and decorative arts. Publishes original scholarship, presents lectures, contributes to exhibitions, ensures accurate cataloguing, and advances the Gallery's research mission.
  • Provides strategic leadership for the department by planning exhibitions, acquisitions, staffing, budgets, and long-range goals. Supervises curatorial staff, fellows, interns, and contractors, and represents the department within the Gallery and externally.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment
  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • See "Other Information" section regarding Selective Service requirements.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website. It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit appropriate documentation prior to the closing date. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant experience as it relates to this job announcement. Be clear and specific when describing your work history since human resources cannot make assumptions regarding your experience.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements:
  1. Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field.
    OR
  2. Combination of education and experience courses equivalent to a major, as shown in 1 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
    OR
  3. Four years of experience that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in 1 above.

Specialized Experience Statement: Candidates must possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in responsibility to the GS-14 level in the Federal service or private sector, working with European sculpture and decorative arts in a curatorial capacity in a fine arts museum; AND demonstrated experience researching, curating, and proposing acquisitions of European sculpture and decorative art from Europe and the United States.
OPM Qualifications Standard:
Individual Occupational Requirements: Museum Curator Series 1015 Associated Group standard: General Schedule Qualification Standards
Other Relevant Eligibility Criteria: None
You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Merit promotion applicants must meet the time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Note: Applicants who are referred to the hiring office for selection consideration may be required to submit writing and/or work samples as part of the interview/selection process. If the hiring office decides to request a writing and/or work sample as part of its selection process, the vacancy contact will reach out to you by email to: (1) inform you of this requirement; and (2) provide further instructions.
Education
This position has an education requirement.
Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.
Additional information
The National Gallery of Art fosters a fair workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The EEO policy is found at: https://www.nga.gov/employment-opportunities/equal-employment-opportunity
More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
This positionis not in the bargaining unit.
Relocation expenses will not be paid.
Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
EEO Policy: USAJOBS Help Center - Equal employment opportunity policy
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: http://help.usajobs.gov/reasonable-accommodation
Veterans Information: http://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans
Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/
Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.
Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements visit the following websites:
  • Persons with Disabilities-Schedule A
  • Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans
  • Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses
  • Other Special Appointment Authorities

Reasonable Accommodation Requests:
To learn more, please consult the following resources:
  • Disability Employment - Reasonable Accommodations (OPM)
  • How to contact an agency

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
The Federal Government offers a comprehensive benefits package.
Flexible Spending Accounts - http://www.fsafeds.com/
Health Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp
Leave - http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/index.asp
Life Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp
Retirement Program - http://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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