Appendix C: Detailed Demographics and Institutional Context
Gender
The majority of MMF’s survey respondents identify as women (66%), followed by men (25%) and a growing number of nonbinary workers (9%).
Race and Ethnicity
Respondents were able to select more than one option in the race/ethnicity category, which we aggregated into seven identities, plus other (defined as another race or ethnicity). The vast majority of workers selected white (77%), followed by Hispanic or Latine/x (13%), Asian or Asian American (9%), Black or African American (9%), Native American/Alaska Native/First Nations (2%), another race or ethnicity (2%), MENA (1%), and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (0.5%). Respondents who selected more than one racial group were also classified as multiracial (and kept in each of the racial groups they elected). Those who selected Hispanic or Latine/x could also select (and be counted in) a separate racial identity. Therefore, responses by race and ethnicity add up to more than 100%. This approach privileges the multiplicity of individual identities held by art museum staff over the priority of having proportions for this category sum to 100%.
Age/Generation
Nearly a majority (49%) of respondents are Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996), followed by 25% Gen X (born 1965–1980), 14% Gen Z (1997–2012), and 11% Baby Boomers (1946–1964).
Disability Status
Nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents have a disability, a sizable increase from 2023 (17%). This is likely due to the linear correlation between age and disability, with 41% of Gen Z workers reporting a disability compared to 27% of Millennials, 15% of Gen X, and 9% of Baby Boomers.
This year, we also added options to select types of disabilities. Of respondents with disabilities, the most common type is a mental health condition (55%), a chronic illness (27%), and an emotional or behavioral disability (17%).
Full-time and Part-time Status
84% of respondents work on a full-time basis, while 17% work part time. As in 2023, we recognize that this overrepresents the experiences of full-time employees. For context, HR officers reported their workforce split as 66% full time and 34% part time. In some cases, especially in the Pay and Promotions section, we focused our analysis on the experiences of full-time workers.
Position Level
This year, we shifted our language from “seniority” to “position level” to describe the five categories that workers could serve within the museum. Nearly half (48%) of respondents selected associate, followed by 26% managers, 10% entry level, 10% directors, and 6% executives. We acknowledge that the way a worker chooses to describe their position level may differ from the way that the museum categorizes them. For the purpose of this study, we used the workers’ self-descriptions.
When we look at where different demographic groups fall within the museum hierarchy, we see some interesting patterns. Nonbinary workers are much more concentrated within entry-level and associate-level positions (78% vs. 58% overall) but, while women far outnumber men within our sample, how they fall across position levels is fairly equivalent.
For race and ethnicity, we see that Asian workers are disproportionally likely to be concentrated in the lower two position levels (68% in the entry or associate level vs. 58% overall), whereas Black workers are more concentrated in the upper two position levels (19% the director or executive levels vs. 16% overall).
Figure 72. Position Level, by Gender
What type of position do you have at the museum?
Entry |
Associate |
Manager |
Director |
Executive |
|
Men |
7% |
48% |
30% |
10% |
5% |
Nonbinary |
16% |
62% |
19% |
1% |
2% |
Women |
10% |
45% |
27% |
11% |
7% |
Figure 73. Position Level, by Race and Ethnicity
What type of position do you have at the museum?
Entry |
Associate |
Manager |
Director |
Executive |
|
Black or African American |
14% |
45% |
22% |
11% |
8% |
Asian or Asian American |
15% |
53% |
18% |
8% |
5% |
Hispanic or Latine/x |
10% |
51% |
27% |
6% |
5% |
MENA |
22% |
41% |
25% |
9% |
3% |
Native American/Alaska Native/First Nations |
6% |
55% |
28% |
4% |
6% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander |
9% |
55% |
27% |
0% |
9% |
White |
9% |
48% |
27% |
10% |
6% |
Another Race or Ethnicity |
12% |
45% |
29% |
8% |
6% |
Tenure
On average, respondents have been working in the field for 9.3 years and at their current institutions for 6 years. As in 2023, there are clear differences in tenure depending on workers’ gender, race, and/or ethnicity. Nonbinary workers have much lower tenures, in both their current institution (3 years) and the field (5). Men have the longest average tenures, both in the field (11 years) and at their current institution (8).
In their current institutions, white workers tend to have longer tenures (7 years), followed by Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (6), Native American/Alaska Native/First Nations (6), Hispanic or Latine/x (5), and then Asian, Black, and MENA (4 each).
White workers also have the longest tenures in the field along with Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (10 years), followed by Native American/Alaska Native/First Nations (8), Asian (8), and then Hispanic or Latine/x, Black, and MENA (7 each).
Figure 74. Tenure in the Art Museum Field and Current Institution, by Gender
Approximately how long have you been working in the art museum field? And how long have you been working at your current museum?
In the field |
At current institution |
|
Men |
11 years |
8 years |
Women |
9 years |
6 years |
Nonbinary |
5 years |
3 years |
Figure 75. Tenure in the Art Museum Field and Current Institution, by Race/Ethnicity
Approximately how long have you been working in the art museum field? And how long have you been working at your current museum?
In the field |
At current institution |
|
White |
10 years |
8 years |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander |
10 years |
6 years |
Native American/Alaska Native/First Nations |
8 years |
6 years |
Asian or Asian American |
8 years |
4 years |
Hispanic or Latine/x |
7 years |
5 years |
Black or African American |
7 years |
4 years |
MENA |
7 years |
4 years |
Sexual Orientation
The majority of respondents (67%) identify as heterosexual, followed by 13% bisexual, 12% queer, 6% gay, 5% pansexual, 4% lesbian, and 2% asexual. Survey takers were able to select as many options as applied.
Education level
A plurality of respondents said that their highest level of education is a bachelor’s degree (45%), followed by a master’s degree (36%), some college/associate’s degree (10%), professor or doctorate degree (6%), and high school diploma (2%). As in 2023, women tend to have higher levels of education than men.
Department Area
Respondents were able to select as many department areas as applied. Positions for each department were listed in parentheses next to each department area (see Glossary of Terms for full list). Overall, the most common department areas were public engagement (31%) and administration (31%), followed by collections and exhibitions (29%), building operations (20%), and communications (10%).
Figure 76. Race/Ethnicity in Art Museums, by Department Area
|
Administration |
Building Operations |
Collections & Exhibitions |
Communications |
Public Engagement |
|
Black or African American |
8% |
12% |
7% |
9% |
11% |
Asian or Asian American |
8% |
8% |
11% |
10% |
8% |
Hispanic or Latine/x |
11% |
14% |
12% |
12% |
17% |
MENA |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
Native American/Alaska Native/First Nations |
2% |
3% |
2% |
2% |
3% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander |
0% |
1% |
1% |
0% |
0% |
White |
78% |
79% |
77% |
76% |
72% |
Another Race or Ethnicity |
1% |
2% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
* Study participants were able to select all department areas that applied, resulting in overall data sums that exceeded 100%.
Union Status
15% of respondents are a union member or currently negotiating their first union contract. The majority (59%) of respondents have no union available at their museum, and 25% are not eligible for their museum’s union (due to their position level or type). 2% of respondents indicated that they opted out of the union available to them at their museum. The most common departments with unionized staff are: public engagement (16%), collections and exhibitions (15%), and building operations (13%).
The majority (59%) of unionized workers are members of unions that have been certified (since winning a union election or being voluntarily recognized by their museum’s leadership) for two or fewer years. Large museums (over $15 million budget) are more likely to have a union presence (67% vs. 31% without unions).
Figure 77. Union Status, by Department Area
Opted out of union |
No union at museum |
Not union eligible |
Union member* |
|
Administration |
2% |
57% |
30% |
10% |
Building Operations |
2% |
59% |
24% |
13% |
Collections & Exhibitions |
1% |
61% |
22% |
15% |
Communications |
2% |
65% |
23% |
9% |
Public Engagement |
2% |
61% |
21% |
16% |
* This category combines those who are currently negotiating their first contract and those who are already covered by a union contract.
Figure 78. Length of Union Certification
< 1 year |
24% |
1–2 years |
35% |
3–5 years |
20% |
6–10 years |
2% |
11+ years |
19% |