Museology/Museum Studies: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 30.14. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 158 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 20 | 83 | $30,028 | $39,646 | $23,875 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 4 | 2 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 23 | 56 | $30,075 | $36,787 | Data unavailable |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 6 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 59 | 506 | $44,647 | $53,692 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 44 | 191 | $43,036 | $46,250 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa IA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $28,837 | $40,294 | $23,875 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco State University CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $61,321 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY · Public · 27 graduates measured | $58,038 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Illinois Chicago IL · Public · 18 graduates measured | $53,078 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 40 graduates measured | $48,966 | $49,683 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 42 graduates measured | $48,679 | $55,996 | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 49 graduates measured | $48,115 | $59,584 | Data unavailable |
| University of the Arts · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $46,714 | $52,931 | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $46,420 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 141 graduates measured | $45,357 | $61,632 | Data unavailable |
| SUNY Oneonta NY · Public · 35 graduates measured | $43,865 | $50,499 | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis IN · Public · 20 graduates measured | $43,655 | $47,477 | Data unavailable |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $43,137 | $42,914 | Data unavailable |
| Tufts University MA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $41,900 | $51,775 | Data unavailable |
| Western Illinois University IL · Public · 21 graduates measured | $36,378 | $43,387 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Museology/Museum Studies
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $77,640 | +2.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Archivists | $64,550 | +3.4% | Master's degree |
| Curators | $63,420 | +4.9% | Master's degree |
| Museum technicians and conservators | $51,440 | +3.6% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 30.1401 Museology/Museum Studies