Curators
Also called Collections Curator, Collections Manager, Curator, or Museum Curator
Updated · Source: O*NET 31.0
What Curators do
You decide what a museum keeps, what the public sees, and the story each object tells when people walk through the door.
Curators look after collections: artwork, historic objects, collectibles, or scientific specimens. You decide what the institution buys, borrows, or lends, then research those objects to confirm where they came from and what they are worth. You plan exhibits, choose the theme, and help install the pieces. You also keep careful digital records of every item, so nothing gets lost or mislabeled.
The job mixes quiet study with a lot of people. Some days you read, write, and work through a database alone. Other days you lead tours and workshops, answer questions from the public and from curators elsewhere, write grant proposals asking for money, and attend community events to build support for the institution. Most of the work happens indoors in climate-controlled rooms, since heat and humidity damage collections.
A day in the life
You start with email: a loan request from another museum, a question from a visitor, a reminder about a grant deadline. Then you spend an hour in the storage area with a newly donated object, checking its history and entering it into the catalog database. Late morning, you meet with your team to work through the layout of an upcoming exhibit and which pieces tell the story best. After lunch you walk the building, looking for leaks, temperature problems, or signs of insects that could damage what you hold. In the afternoon you lead a workshop for a school group, then sit down to draft a section of a grant proposal before heading to an evening community event.
This could fit you if you…
- ✓Like objects and the stories behind them, and want to dig into where things came from
- ✓Can switch between quiet research and talking with strangers all afternoon
- ✓Keep records precise and orderly, down to a single catalog entry
- ✓Write clearly enough to persuade a funder or explain a display
- ✓Enjoy planning something months ahead and seeing it installed
You might not like it if you…
- –Want to skip years of schooling, since most curators enter with a master's degree
- –Dislike paperwork, databases, and grant writing as much as the objects themselves
- –Need a field with lots of openings, since there are about 1,600 a year nationally, though growth of +4.9% is a bit above the +3.5% expected for all jobs
- –Would rather not spend part of your time fundraising and promoting the institution
How people get in
- 1Visit museums, historical societies, and galleries, and ask staff what their work actually looks like day to day.
- 2Earn a bachelor's degree in a subject that fits your interest, such as art history, history, anthropology, or a science tied to a collection.
- 3Volunteer or intern at a museum, archive, or campus collection while you study, handling objects and learning cataloging systems.
- 4Complete a master's degree, which is the typical entry-level education. Common programs include museum studies (how museums run and care for collections), art history and conservation, public or applied history (history made for museums and communities rather than just the classroom), and digital humanities (using computers and digital tools to study history, art, and texts).
- 5Build practical skills employers look for: database record-keeping, clear writing, public speaking, and grant proposals.
- 6Start in assistant or collections roles, keep publishing or presenting your research, and move into curator positions as your expertise grows.
Who tends to enjoy it
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Leading
People who like persuading, selling, starting things, and taking charge.
Helping
People who like teaching, caring for, and working closely with people.
Official task list
Curators 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. (O*NET)
- 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.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
What you'll need to know
- English Language
- History and Archeology
- Fine Arts
- Administration and Management
- Sociology and Anthropology
How much Curators make
The median pay for Curators in the U.S. is $63,420 a year ($30.49 an hour). Most earn between $40,470 and $107,140. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in District of Columbia ($93,310) and lowest in Mississippi ($40,600).
Pay by state and territory
| State | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,120 | 150 |
| Alaska | $63,880 | 90 |
| Arizona | $63,510 | 150 |
| Arkansas | $53,870 | 80 |
| California | $78,740 | 1,140 |
| Colorado | $73,630 | 300 |
| Connecticut | $76,510 | 190 |
| Delaware | $56,800 | 60 |
| District of Columbia | $93,310 | 140 |
| Florida | $59,500 | 420 |
| Georgia | $57,810 | 230 |
| Hawaii | $50,720 | 140 |
| Idaho | $62,190 | 50 |
| Illinois | $63,060 | 410 |
| Indiana | $53,910 | 220 |
| Iowa | $53,830 | 230 |
| Kansas | $56,630 | 120 |
| Kentucky | $55,460 | 130 |
| Louisiana | $60,080 | 160 |
| Maine | $56,470 | 110 |
| Maryland | $63,750 | 170 |
| Massachusetts | $77,790 | 370 |
| Michigan | $63,190 | 360 |
| Minnesota | $53,920 | 220 |
| Mississippi | $40,600 | 30 |
| Missouri | $59,960 | 260 |
| Montana | $54,460 | 100 |
| Nebraska | $58,600 | 120 |
| Nevada | $69,900 | 100 |
| New Hampshire | $82,490 | 60 |
| New Jersey | $77,800 | 120 |
| New Mexico | $63,690 | 140 |
| New York | $79,120 | 1,330 |
| North Carolina | $49,470 | 600 |
| Ohio | $63,640 | 370 |
| Oklahoma | $60,560 | 150 |
| Oregon | $62,790 | 260 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,100 | 520 |
| Rhode Island | $77,930 | 70 |
| South Carolina | $47,200 | 120 |
| South Dakota | $74,990 | 50 |
| Tennessee | $57,580 | 190 |
| Texas | $59,990 | 690 |
| Utah | $59,910 | 50 |
| Vermont | $56,520 | 60 |
| Virginia | $58,200 | 450 |
| Washington | $74,030 | 260 |
| Wisconsin | $64,370 | 300 |
| Wyoming | $61,910 | 90 |
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 438 colleges
- Museology / Museum Studies 95 colleges
- Public / Applied History 74 colleges
- Digital Humanities 20 colleges
- Textual Studies 1 colleges
- Digital Humanities and Textual Studies 1 colleges
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 25-4012.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC 25-4012. Outlook and entry education: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.