The employment outlook for museum directors is expected to remain stable throughout the 1990s. Because these museums do not carry the stewardship of existing collections, the director's job focuses on public education and facilities design rather than on preservation of objects. The salaries of museum directors cover an extremely broad range, reflecting the size of the museum, its budget, its metropolitan location, the duties to be performed by the director, and the director's academic and administrative achievements. In small museums the director may be the only paid professional staff member. Museum salaries are often keyed to the museum's operating budget.
Salary is only one aspect of the compensation made available to museum directors.
Subsidized housing or subsidized transportation are among the benefits that may be offered to museum directors at all salary levels. In historical reconstructions, directors may be asked to live rent-free in a house on the grounds, to provide some security and basic maintenance at night and other times when the museum is closed to visitors. A company-paid club membership may be part of the benefits package offered to the museum director. The directorship of a museum is an all consuming occupation. Considerable travel, program development, fund-raising, and staff management may be involved.