9 of the Best Types of Museum Jobs in 2026

Discover some great types of Museum jobs that are hiring now.

High Paying Museum Jobs

• Museum Director

  Salary range: $71,500 - $168,000

  Qualifications for a museum director job vary depending on the type of museum you work at. In an art museum, for example, the museum director often has a master’s or doctorate degree in art. Though it is not always the case, usually someone in a director’s position has completed advanced studies and has become a master in the museum’s subject. You can increase your chances of finding a museum director job by also completing a management program or gaining experience overseeing an aspect of a museum’s operation.

• Museum Freelance

  Salary range: $50,500 - $128,500

  Freelancers are self-employed. As a freelancer, you provide work to clients and invoice them for it. The type of clients you have depends on what kind of services you offer. Your clients can be individuals or companies. A full-time freelancer often has assignments from multiple clients at once. Some common services that people provide as freelancers are: writing, editing, graphic design, web design, marketing, programming, accounting, and bookkeeping. Freelancing is ideal for those who prefer to be their own boss and are willing to market themselves to meet their income goals.

• Full Time Museum

  Salary range: $59,500 - $84,000

  Full-time employment hours are generally determined by the employer. There is no single universal definition; however, various laws and policies govern different types of eligibility and statuses. For example, the Fair Labor Standards Act does not define full-time employment but does require overtime pay after 40 hours of work in a workweek for non-exempt employees. The Affordable Care Act, in determining Applicable Large Employers, defines full-time employees as those working an average of at least 30 hours per week, or 130 hours a month. The H-1B Visa Program defines full-time as 40 hours per week, normally, and in no event would less than 35 hours per week be considered to be full-time employment. In practice, full-time employment is typically between 32 and 40 hours per week.

• Museum Coordinator

  Salary range: $40,500 - $69,500

  Coordinators plan and schedule events, programs, or projects. In this position, you can work in a variety of industries, so your duties and the necessary qualifications vary by field. There are project coordinators who work in the construction, manufacturing, and development industries, program coordinators, who typically work in education, community outreach, or non-profit organizations, and numerous other positions that require significant coordination experience. For those who work in labor industries, coordination might include developing timetables and budgets for the ordering and delivery of materials or services, while at a school, an instructional coordinator might prepare an afterschool program curriculum.

• Virtual Museum

  Salary range: $42,500 - $57,000

  A virtual job refers to a job that can be performed outside of an employer’s office. Also known as remote, work from home, or telecommuting jobs, these positions have become increasingly common because of technology like telephones, internet, email, and video conference calls, which help to facilitate employer-employee communication.

• Entry Level Museum

  Salary range: $32,000 - $47,500

  Entry-level jobs are positions that do not require any previous experience in the role. Most entry-level jobs are aimed at high school or college graduates as a starting point for a future career goal. A college student may have majored in their ideal career field, but will still need to start in an entry-level position to train in a real-world environment. Some students move from internships into entry-level jobs, but most entry-level jobs do not expect a candidate to have any prior employment or on-site training.

• Summer Museum

  Salary range: $29,000 - $43,000

  Summer jobs are an integral part of American culture for students in their teens and beyond, but not all summer jobs are created equal. The difference between a great summer and an awful one can be the right job. According to Forbes, some good summer jobs for teens are camp counselor, golf caddy, nanny, food service, retail sales, and, of course, internships.

• Museum Internship

  Salary range: $30,000 - $40,000

  An Internship is a position within your desired field that pays little or no money but offers you the opportunity to gain real-world experience. This may set you apart for your future job search. Generally, Internships are almost expected by employers on an entry-level candidate’s resume. You are much more of an asset to an employer if you have some work experience.

• Museum Manager

  Salary range: $31,500 - $39,500

  Managers supervise a team of people; they establish goals, assign tasks, and measure progress. The specific responsibilities of someone in a management position will vary based on the company and industry they work in, but their primary responsibilities remain largely the same. Managers monitor the accomplishments of their staff, focusing on the overall goals of the department. They work with Human Resources to determine and address staffing needs, coordinate and delegate responsibilities, check employee performance, and provide additional training and direction when necessary.