The 2016 Salary Survey is the thirty-first in a series of annual survey of art museum salaries issued by the Association of Art Museum Directors. The results of this survey represent responses from 220 of 240 museums surveyed—a response rate of 92%.

Among the museums surveyed were both current and former AAMD members. While the response rate of 92% enables this report to be statistically representative of institutions eligible for AAMD membership, one should not assume relevance to museums in other disciplines.

The Salary information derives from positions considered (a) professional and (b) likely to be filled from the national marketplace rather than locally. Comparative statistics on clerical, maintenance, and security are more valid when secured from within a museum’s own region.

Peter R. Griffiths of CMI Solutions, Inc. in Charlotte, North Carolina, tabulated the statistical data in this survey. Thanks are due to Mr. Griffiths for the publication of the survey. Thanks are also due to the museums responding to the survey for the considerable time and effort put into their responses.

The format of the survey reflects metropolitan areas defined as metropolitan statistical areas and micropolitan statistical areas as of July 15, 2015. Maps of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas by state are available here. Population data has been updated to reflect 2010 U.S. Census counts. Canadian and Mexican metropolitan area populations were sourced from Statistics Canada and Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, respectively.

Salary information is based on compensation for FY15. Information is not presented for positions when fewer than five museums reported salary figures. Categories with no reporting museum are denoted by “n.d.” Salaries reported by Canadian art museums are reported in Canadian dollars.