Education and libraries
Curator
Administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. May conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.
Median pay
$63,420
Growth to 2035
+5%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
1,600
Time to qualify*
2 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Curator
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Curator: 57% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials, including the selection of exhibition themes and designs, and develop or install exhibit materials.
- Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases.
- Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise.
- Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public.
- Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections.
- Study, examine, and test acquisitions to authenticate their origin, composition, history, and to assess their current value.
- Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to ensure that climate and pest control issues are addressed.
- Write and review grant proposals, journal articles, institutional reports, and publicity materials.
Also called: Collections Curator · Collections Manager · Curator · Education Curator · Exhibitions Curator · Exhibits Curator · Museum Curator · Photography Curator
Outlook and AI
Curators held 14,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 14,900 by 2035 (+5%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Curator vs. Archivist
- Curator vs. Historian
- Curator vs. Museum technicians and conservators
- Curator vs. Librarians and media collections specialists
- Curator vs. Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary
- Curator vs. Set and exhibit designers
- Curator vs. Anthropologists and archeologists
- Curator vs. History teachers, postsecondary
- Curator vs. Art director
- Curator vs. Library science teachers, postsecondary