Ms. Michaels: Please don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say that, either, and don't (necessarily) think the two people in your example should be paid the same amount. I could ask you to detail just how big the traveling exhibits would be in each case, whether they would travel to the neighboring university or to Europe, and a myriad of other questions to get the details required to state unequivocally what each should be paid. We could argue details until we're blue in the face. -That's why Andy says we're too diverse to survey- All I said was that AAM could/should do some sort of survey to provide us with tools to use in our fight to get better wages. My situation is that all our salaries (mine included) are set by the State Legislature - not by our board or management. Our legislators would be much more impressed with economic survey figures than with "standards" imposed by some national museum group. I could use figures which document what Museum workers are paid to illustrate our position in the national mix. I think we pay the same as museums in NY do (if the earlier parts of this thread were accurate), and it's a LOT cheaper to live here. Maybe we pay more, but how am I to know unless someone with broad connections does a survey and provides me with definable results? We have a collections curator position open right now, graduate degree required, which will probably be filled at about $23,000 and excellent benefits. AND you get to live in North Dakota, too! So, is your point that we shouldn't "average," but should list every salary, identify ranges, tie everything to budget (but remember that your $500,000 goes a lot farther here than in NY), or what? Chris Dill - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - C. L. Dill, Museum Director State Historical Society of North Dakota 612 East Boulevard Bismarck ND 58505-0830 P: (701)328-2666 F: (701)328-3710 E: [log in to unmask] Visit our Web site at: http://www.state.nd.us/hist/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -