I also think that there is money available in museums for better salaries. I
was the seventh person in 3 years to have a specific job (in education) at a
small museum in New York City. In addition to having a demanding and
challenging job, we all received small salaries. I think that the work load
and low salaries caused my predecessors to leave. In less than two years,
however, my salary has been increased by $7,000, and I have a new job title. I
was not willing to get a second job. I worked many overtime hours, and wrote
numerous proposals that helped our department and staff become more efficient.
(I also did numerous other things my predecessors hadn't, i.e., increase the
number of unpaid volunteers.) I believe I earned the money and title, but all
the work and struggle has been draining. I often wonder if I should move on to
another museum or go into the corporate sector. But, I know how difficult it
is to find a museum job, and I don't want to have to start all over again
(somewhere else). Eventually, I hope to work as a college professor even
though I know academia has its own problems. At any rate, I plug along, and do
all I can to make the job better for me. I should add that I have a degree in
art history and a degree in fine arts from an Ivy League University, and my
first job out of school was an unpaid internship at another small museum in
New York City. After two months, I received a stipend of $1,000 for one month.
After that month, I received $9.00 per hour for about 4 months, and then I was
promoted and informed I would receive a salary of $23,000 a year. But, I quit
a month after I got that promotion for pretty much the same reasons I feel
overwhelmed at my current job (which I started immediately after I left that
one). Anyone have a similar story?