Studies fossils to reconstruct the history of life, working in museums, universities, public land agencies and construction mitigation. BLS does not publish separate figures for curators; it counts them within curator (SOC 25-4012), whose median pay is $63,420 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 25-4012
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Paleontologist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $63,420a year, or $30.49/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $40KTop 10% $107K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +4.9%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+4.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +4.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,60014,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202514.2K
- Projected 203514.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 14.2K Projected 2035 14.9K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Some college3.4%
- Bachelor's6.1%
- Post-bacc certificate8.1%
- Master's44.1%
- Doctorate34.8%
- Post-doctoral training2.1%
Highest education held by curators Segment Value Some college 3.4% Bachelor's 6.1% Post-bacc certificate 8.1% Master's 44.1% Doctorate 34.8% Post-doctoral training 2.1%
Also advertised as: Vertebrate Paleontologist, Invertebrate Paleontologist, Micropaleontologist, Paleontological Monitor, Curator of Paleontology.
Pay
How much do Curators make?
Every paleontologist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$63,420
Middle half earn $48,870 to $83,080
- 10th
- $40,470
- 25th
- $48,870
- 75th
- $83,080
- 90th
- $107,140
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $40,470 |
| 25th | $48,870 |
| Median | $63,420 |
| 75th | $83,080 |
| 90th | $107,140 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $63,420
- Median hourly wage
- $30.49/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $71,560
- People employed
- 12,150
Versus all US occupations
At $63,420, Curators earn 24% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $12,440 a year.
Versus educational instruction and library occupations
Inside the Educational Instruction and Library group, where the middle occupation pays $68,270, this is 7% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $107,140 or more while the bottom 10% earn $40,470, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 38% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $93,310, and still leads at $84,904 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Curators the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $93,310 | $84,904 | 140 |
| 2New Hampshire | $82,490 | $79,192 | 60 |
| 3New York | $79,120 | $73,313 | 1,330 |
| 4California | $78,740 | $71,116 | 1,140 |
| 5Rhode Island | $77,930 | $76,193 | 70 |
| 6New Jersey | $77,800 | $71,504 | 120 |
| 7Massachusetts | $77,790 | $73,555 | 370 |
| 8Connecticut | $76,510 | $73,844 | 190 |
| 9South Dakota | $74,990 | $84,652 | 50 |
| 10Washington | $74,030 | $69,179 | 260 |
Job outlook
Is Paleontologist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +4.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Curators | +4.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Curators to change 4.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,600 openings are projected each year, 11.3% of the 14,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Paleontologist
A bachelor's degree in geology or biology with coursework in paleontology, sedimentology and comparative anatomy is the starting point. Monitoring and collections jobs often hire at the bachelor's or master's level, while museum curator and professor roles typically require a PhD.
The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and the Paleontological Society support students through meetings, field training awards and early career programs. Volunteering in a museum fossil preparation lab, joining field crews in summer, and working on federal land projects that require permits from the Bureau of Land Management or the National Park Service are common ways to build experience.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as curators.
- Master's Degree44.1%
- Doctoral Degree34.8%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate8.1%
- Bachelor's Degree6.1%
- Some College Courses3.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 44.1% |
| Doctoral Degree | 34.8% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 8.1% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 6.1% |
| Some College Courses | 3.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Paleontologist do?
Paleontologists find, collect and study fossils to understand ancient life and environments. Museum and university paleontologists lead field expeditions, describe new species, and manage fossil collections used by researchers and the public. Micropaleontologists study tiny fossils that help date rock layers, work that has long been used in energy exploration.
A large and less visible part of the field is mitigation paleontology. When roads, pipelines or housing developments disturb fossil-bearing rock, environmental laws and agency rules often require a paleontological monitor on site. These paleontologists survey project areas, watch excavations, salvage fossils before they are destroyed, and write reports for agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management.
Day-to-day tasks
- Survey project areas and public lands for fossil-bearing rock
- Excavate, jacket and transport fossils from field sites
- Monitor construction excavations and salvage exposed fossils
- Prepare and stabilize specimens in the laboratory
- Catalog and curate fossil collections
- Identify and describe fossil species
- Write technical reports for agencies and scientific papers
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Field seasons involve hot, dusty and remote sites, hiking, digging, and camping. Mitigation monitors work outdoors on active construction sites alongside heavy equipment. The rest of the year is spent in labs, collections storage and offices preparing fossils, cataloging specimens, and writing reports or papers. Museum roles add public programs and visitor questions, and mitigation work follows construction schedules wherever projects are underway.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Writing3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Learning3.5
- Monitoring3.4
- Learning Strategies3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.5 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Systems Analysis3.4
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Systems Evaluation3.3
- Coordination3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Persuasion3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Paleontologist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IRA) built on O*NET's Curator profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Paleontologist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Conventional5.0
- Investigative4.2
- Enterprising3.8
- Social3.8
- Artistic3.5
- Realistic3.4
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Paleontologist
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$99,650median a year
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More educational instruction and library careers
Median annual pay, with curators highlighted
- Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary$80,250
- Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$74,260
- Librarian$68,270
- Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School$66,270
- Paleontologist$63,420
- Kindergarten Teacher$62,680
- Library Technician$44,580
- Tutor$43,350
- Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education$38,140
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary | $80,250 |
| Special Education Teacher, Secondary School | $74,260 |
| Librarian | $68,270 |
| Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School | $66,270 |
| Paleontologist | $63,420 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $62,680 |
| Library Technician | $44,580 |
| Tutor | $43,350 |
| Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education | $38,140 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Paleontologist appears on
Questions
Paleontologist: frequently asked questions
How much do Curators make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for curators. It counts them within curator, whose median pay is $63,420 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $48,870 and $83,080, and the top 10% earn $107,140 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Paleontologist?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Curators, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 44.1% hold master's degree.
Is Paleontologist a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4.9% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Paleontologist do?
Paleontologists find, collect and study fossils to understand ancient life and environments. A typical task: survey project areas and public lands for fossil-bearing rock. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Curators the most?
The highest state medians for Curators are District of Columbia ($93,310), New Hampshire ($82,490), New York ($79,120) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Paleontologist?
O*NET scores Curators highest on the Conventional, Investigative and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.