H-1B Demand for 'Curators' Surges, Led by NY and CA
Explore H-1B visa filings for Curators. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $91,279 |
| Salary Range | $38,854 - $248,230 |
| Top Sponsor | The Metropolitan Museum of Art |
| Primary Location | New York |
Curators is one of the H-1B visa categories with 15 filings and an average salary of $95,699. The "Curators" role shows a significant increase in H-1B applications, particularly in FY2025. New York and California are the leading states for H-1B hires in this role, indicating concentrated demand. The average salary for H-1B Curators is notably higher than the median, suggesting a premium for specialized skills or experience.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $91,279 |
| Median Salary | $81,182 |
| 25th Percentile | $65,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $95,000 |
| Minimum Salary | $38,854 |
| Maximum Salary | $248,230 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,515 |
| 25th Percentile | $65,000 |
| Median (50th) | $81,182 |
| 75th Percentile | $95,000 |
| 90th Percentile | $154,582 |
| Average | $91,279 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 77 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 21 |
| H-1B1 SINGAPORE | 1 |
| H-1B1 CHILE | 1 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art | 6 | $120k |
| Smithsonian Institution | 5 | $87k |
| The J. Paul Getty Trust | 5 | $129k |
| The Field Museum of Natural History | 4 | $61k |
| Walker Art Center | 3 | $91k |
| The Art Institute of Chicago | 3 | $57k |
| D'Lan Contemporary LLC | 2 | $88k |
| Sothebys, Inc. | 2 | $68k |
| Thomas Nickles Gallery LLC | 2 | $60k |
| University of Chicago | 2 | $114k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| New York | 38 |
| California | 15 |
| Illinois | 10 |
| District of Columbia | 5 |
| Florida | 4 |
| Minnesota | 3 |
| Virginia | 3 |
| Massachusetts | 3 |
| Texas | 3 |
| Connecticut | 2 |
Focus on developing specialized curation skills and target opportunities in high-demand states like New York and California to maximize H-1B prospects for the 'Curators' role.
The average H-1B salary for Curators is $95,699, with a median of $81,182. The 25th-75th percentile range is $60,258 to $152,000.
Top H-1B sponsors for Curators include Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The J. Paul Getty Trust, Duke University, University of Illinois, ABOUT GLAMOUR INC.. A total of 13 employers have filed for this role.
There are 15 H-1B filings on record for Curators positions. 100.0% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Curators positions are New York (5), California (3), Massachusetts (2), Illinois (2), North Carolina (1).
Yes, Curators is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 15 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Curators salaries range from $45,070 to $180,000. The median salary is $81,182.
The approval rate for Curators H-1B petitions is 100.0%. H-1B applications for 'Curators' have more than quadrupled from FY2023/2024 to FY2025.
The top three states (NY, CA, MA) account for 10 out of the 15 reported H-1B hires.
Focus on developing specialized curation skills and target opportunities in high-demand states like New York and California to maximize H-1B prospects for the 'Curators' role.
The average salary ($95,699) is 17.8% higher than the median salary ($81,182).
The Curators occupation (SOC code 25-401200) is classified under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SOC system groups workers into occupational categories based on the type of work performed, providing a standardized framework for comparing wages, employment levels, and workforce trends across the United States.
Curators positions fall within the specialty occupation category required for H-1B visa sponsorship, meaning they typically require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the specific specialty. Based on H-1B filing data, the most common education requirement for Curators positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Curators positions show an average offered salary of $91,279, with a range from $38,854 at the entry level to $248,230 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in New York (38 filings) and California (15 filings).
Career outlook for Curators professionals is closely tied to industry demand for specialized skills. Employers sponsoring H-1B workers for this role are demonstrating that they could not find sufficient qualified U.S. workers to fill these positions, which often signals strong demand and competitive compensation. Workers in this occupation may also be eligible for other visa categories including L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, or employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM process.
To sponsor a foreign worker for an H-1B visa in a Curators role, U.S. employers must satisfy several requirements established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and enforced by both the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The position must qualify as a "specialty occupation," meaning it requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty directly related to the position. For Curators roles, H-1B filings indicate that employers most commonly require a Not Specified degree. USCIS evaluates whether the position itself, not just the employer's preference, genuinely requires specialized education.
Employers must pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the geographic area of employment, as determined by the DOL. The prevailing wage is based on four skill levels (Level 1 through Level 4) that reflect the complexity of the job duties and required experience. For Curators positions, the average offered salary of $91,279 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 29.9%, with 80% of filings offering above the prevailing wage.
Before filing the H-1B petition, employers must obtain a certified LCA from the DOL. The LCA requires employers to attest to four conditions: (1) paying at least the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher; (2) providing working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers; (3) no strike or lockout at the worksite; and (4) proper notice of the filing to workers. The overall LCA approval rate for Curators positions is 98%.
The annual H-1B cap is set at 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degrees or higher (the "master's cap"). Certain employers, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations, are exempt from the cap. Curators positions at cap-exempt employers can be filed at any time during the year, while cap-subject employers must participate in the annual H-1B lottery, typically held in March for the following fiscal year.
H-1B visas are initially granted for up to three years and can be extended for a maximum of six years total. Workers who have an approved I-140 immigrant petition (part of the green card process) may be eligible for extensions beyond the six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21). The average contract duration for Curators H-1B filings is approximately 32 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Curators positions.