I feel that this horse is just about dead now, but I would like to offer an explanation for the low salaries. I have arrived at this line of thinking more from dealing in HR then in museums, but I too have experienced the frustration of feeling devalued. Part of the problem with this field is that various circumstances in the 1980's economy created a need for museums to become more competative. The field of museum studies exploded with programs strouting at many colleges and universties around the country in order to answer the call for a better trained museum staffer. Prior to this change, many people working in museums were contributing the second (smaller) salary to a two income family. While we (listers) genuinely enjoy our work and therefore accept less than our perceived worth, these people were the ones who did it because they love it, and in their case, money actually wasn't very important. Over the last 15 years, the perception has been that museum careers are becoming more technically demanding as competition for money and audience grows. The fact remains though that many of the jobs in smaller museums can still be done very well by soccer moms/dads and retirees in the community working part-time. The switch to a need of Museum Studies professionals never happened and many museums make the mistake of thinking that they need to require this degree, and way too many people make the mistake of thinking that it's going to open the door to unlimited career growth. The competition for jobs from the wave of museums studies degree holders has created a situation in which the institutions are at a much greater advantage, and in that circumstance, why pay more? This situation may level out if people who enjoy the field work hard and people who are unhappy with the pay develop their transferable skills and make a career change. No one is twisting their arm to love museum work. This is not unique to the museums field. What would help fix the situation is if institutions would stop requiring Museum Studies degrees for all positions, and if museum studies programs could weed down their numbers a bit. I've spoken with many who have said that if they understood the job situation better they would not have felt like this piece of paper entitled them to a lot more money and speedy career advancement. And increasingly, not all Museum Studies programs are created the same. I guess I'd like to believe that the museum field is still in this transitional phase; away from reliable sources of funding and into a more competative business environment. For now though I encourage you all to do what you can and seek out the local museum studies program in your area to offer your time to speak to a class about the realities of this field. The low pay is generally not as much an insult as it is a surprise to many entering the field. Don't be too proud to scare people away from the field by telling them salary horror stories. If we only share them on the list then we're just feeling sorry for ourselves. Rob Lopata [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com