Curator Job Descriptions

Curators are in charge of collections at museums, nature centers, libraries, historical sites and other organizations. A curator may also be the facility director. Most specialize in a particular field. Large museums employ different curators for different types of collections, such as art, world history and science exhibits.

Acquisition and Exhibits

Curators work to acquire items for collections, which may involve negotiating the purchase. They create and label new permanent exhibits, and they also obtain loans of exhibits from other facilities.

Determining Authenticity

Curators are responsible for determining authenticity of collection items. They oversee research such as x-ray analysis of paintings or fossil dating tests.

Fundraising and Educational Programs

The job description for a curator typically includes grant writing and other types of fundraising activity. These workers also help with publicizing the facility, creating brochures and other literature, and designing educational programs.

Supervising Duties

Some curators are in charge of managing staff, from personnel who assist them directly to people in various departments.

Education and Salary

Curators commonly need a master's degree, particularly for employment at a museum. Competition may essentially require them to obtain a doctorate degree. The average annual salary for curators in 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, was about $51,500.

References

• A sample curator job description
• Salary information from the BLS

Resources

• Information on curator careers from the BLS