7121/Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
155K
employees, 2023
155K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 8,178 US Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions business locations employed 154,570 people and paid $7.1 billion in annual payroll, $45,647 per employee on average. Employment was up 8.1% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
8,178
+0.4% vs 2022
Employees
154,570
+8.1% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$7.1B
+11.2% vs 2022
Average pay
$45,647
+2.9% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 725 | 19,379 | $53,307 | 0.12% |
| New York | 644 | 17,285 | $63,003 | 0.20% |
| Texas | 523 | 10,294 | $40,163 | 0.09% |
| Florida | 380 | 8,654 | $40,406 | 0.09% |
| Pennsylvania | 406 | 7,473 | $41,084 | 0.13% |
| Ohio | 284 | 6,643 | $42,901 | 0.13% |
| Illinois | 218 | 6,173 | $48,829 | 0.11% |
| Massachusetts | 310 | 5,300 | $50,305 | 0.15% |
| Virginia | 228 | 4,900 | $42,123 | 0.14% |
| Michigan | 207 | 4,425 | $39,787 | 0.11% |
| Georgia | 187 | 4,092 | $41,149 | 0.09% |
| Tennessee | 153 | 3,991 | $40,367 | 0.13% |
| Colorado | 166 | 3,533 | $47,091 | 0.14% |
| Missouri | 156 | 3,404 | $41,635 | 0.13% |
| North Carolina | 214 | 3,025 | $48,780 | 0.07% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 418 | 14,403 | $66,739 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 195 | 5,683 | $55,999 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 120 | 5,587 | $50,814 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 69 | 4,967 | $45,423 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 170 | 4,440 | $46,112 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 122 | 4,258 | $62,436 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 213 | 3,453 | $52,323 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 99 | 3,197 | $45,546 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 91 | 3,118 | $40,949 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 88 | 2,785 | $46,127 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 114 | 2,492 | $44,808 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 73 | 2,457 | $37,561 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 57 | 2,450 | $51,109 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 114 | 2,448 | $49,717 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 40 | 2,364 | $42,637 |
Business size
US Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4,338 | 53.0% |
| 5 to 9 | 1,436 | 17.6% |
| 10 to 19 | 1,023 | 12.5% |
| 20 to 49 | 760 | 9.3% |
| 50 to 99 | 311 | 3.8% |
| 100 to 249 | 207 | 2.5% |
| 250 to 499 | 78 | 1.0% |
| 500 to 999 | 19 | 0.2% |
| 1,000 or more | 6 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions and the 4 industries directly below it
Part of Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 71Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions 712
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71211 | Museums | 91,534 | $46,571 |
| 71213 | Zoos and Botanical Gardens | 42,708 | $44,630 |
| 71212 | Historical Sites | 11,468 | $41,003 |
| 71219 | Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions | 8,860 | $47,003 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions in the US?
154,570 people worked at 8,178 US Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions business locations in 2023, up 8.1% from 2022. That is 0.11% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions?
$45,647 a year per employee in 2023, from $7.1 billion in annual payroll (up 2.9% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions jobs?
California had the most, with 19,379 employees in 2023, followed by New York (17,285) and Texas (10,294).
Which metro areas have the most Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (14,403), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (5,683), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (5,587) had the most Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions employees in 2023.
Are most Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions businesses small?
83.1% of the 8,178 Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 25 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.