About a Museum Curator Career

Curators are trained to gather, study and maintain the items that museums exhibit. These professionals use their knowledge of specific topics and their knowledge of business management to ensure that a museum has the exhibits and the money that it needs to thrive.

Responsibilities

Museum curators locate and obtain items for exhibits, examine and catalog museum items, research the historical or scientific significance of museum items, design tour plans, train other museum staff and/or raise funds.

Education/Training

A museum curator generally must hold a master's degree or higher in the field of interest that a museum focuses on, such as art, history or science.

Salary

Museum curators usually can expect to earn $26,800 to more than $83,000 a year, according to a May 2008 employment survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Career Development

To obtain a position with a larger museum or become a museum director, a curator usually needs additional education, typically a doctorate degree, and/or experience.

Specialties

A museum curator typically handles the exhibits and/or research for a specific area of study. A curator might have a broad specialty, such as art, or a more specific specialty, such as medieval art.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics- -Curators
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics--Wage Information for Curators
• Occupational Information Network--Curators

Resources

• American Association of Museums