Data Curation Specialist.
Richmond.
$104,000
median salary, 2% above the national average
$77,000 to $141,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Richmond is 1% more expensive than the national average. For Data Curation Specialists, that shakes out to a median of $104,000, with the full range spanning $77,000 to $141,000. Data curation specialists manage and organize training datasets for AI systems, with salary driven by domain expertise and data complexity. Know the range before you walk in.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $93,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$68,000
to $83,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$88,000
to $109,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$114,000
to $135,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$130,000
to $161,000
Salary trend
+5% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $31,000 to the total package.
Base
$104,000
Equity
$18,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $135,000
How Richmond compares
Richmond, VA
$104,000
Cost of living: 1% above average
National Average
$102,000
Richmond is $2,000 above
Data Curation Specialist salary by city
Salary by role in Richmond
What you should know
The Data Curation Specialist landscape in Richmond is not what most salary sites will tell you. Richmond combines a strong government and defense sector with growing technology and financial services industries. Capital One's headquarters drives significant fintech employment. The city's proximity to Washington DC creates spillover demand for federal contractors and tech workers seeking lower living costs. Data curation specialists manage and organize training datasets for AI systems, with salary driven by domain expertise and data complexity. Specialists curating medical, legal, or financial datasets earn 15 to 25% more than those handling general web data. Experience with data governance frameworks and quality assurance methodologies further increases pay.
Entry-level data curation specialists earn $75,000 to $90,000. Specialists with 2 to 4 years and domain expertise reach $102,000 to $138,000. Senior specialists and curation team leads earn $142,000 to $185,000, while directors of data curation at large AI companies can command $190,000 to $250,000. In Richmond, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. AI companies offer equity of 5 to 15% of base salary for curation specialists. Annual bonuses range from 5 to 12%. Benefits often include professional development budgets of $2,000 to $5,000 for domain certification and data management training programs. And on the tax side: virginia's top income tax rate is 5.75%. Richmond has no city income tax. The moderate rate and reasonable cost of living create solid net compensation. When someone quotes you $104,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage DC corridor salary benchmarks. Richmond employers compete with Northern Virginia and DC for talent, especially in fintech and government contracting. The range for Data Curation Specialists in Richmond runs from $77,000 to $141,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Project Manager in Richmond earns $103,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Richmond is Chief AI Officer at $316,000
Common questions.
Data Curation Specialist salary in other cities
Other salaries in Richmond
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