A new survey by Museums Moving Forward (MMF), the 2025 Report on Workplace Equity and Organizational Culture in U.S. Art Museums, finds that employees at smaller U.S. museums report higher job satisfaction than those at major institutions, despite persistent issues of low pay, burnout, and inequity. The report surveyed over 3,100 staff across 91 institutions, nearly double the number in MMF's 2023 study, and notes a sharp rise in union organizing, with 55% of art museum unions formed in the last five years. Non-union staff earn about 78% of unionized counterparts, though unionized workers report higher dissatisfaction. Smaller museums (budgets under $15 million) outperformed larger ones on well-being measures, suggesting workplace culture and agency matter more than pay.
This matters because the report highlights systemic challenges threatening diversity and sustainability in the museum field, particularly who can afford to enter and remain in museum careers. The findings underscore that equitable pay and working conditions remain elusive, even as unionization grows. MMF's ongoing research, with two more reports due before 2030, provides critical data for institutions seeking to improve staff retention and equity, especially amid external pressures like censorship and political polarization.