What Does a Curator Do?
Museum visitors rarely wonder who picked the objects in a gallery, traced their history and wrote the labels beside them. Curators handle all of it in art, history and science museums, where they also plan exhibitions from first idea to opening day, arrange loans with other institutions and propose new acquisitions.
Also known as: Assistant Curator, Art Museum Assistant Curator
Curator Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a curator include:
- Research objects in the collection and write labels, wall texts and catalog essays about them.
- Propose new acquisitions, preparing reports on each object's condition, value and ownership history.
- Plan exhibitions from first idea to opening, choosing objects and working with designers on layout.
- Arrange loans with other museums and collectors; review contracts, insurance and shipping terms.
- Give gallery talks, lectures and tours for students, members and the public.
- Answer research questions from scholars and students about objects in the collection.
- Consult registrars and conservators on the handling, storage and condition of objects.
- Cultivate donors and collectors, writing letters and meeting prospects with the development office.
- Draft grant proposals and exhibition budgets, and report on spending when projects close.
- Supervise interns and student assistants who catalog, photograph and research objects.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a curator, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Subject expertise in art history, history, anthropology or natural science
- Research and clear writing for general readers
- Collections databases such as TMS or PastPerfect
- Public speaking to mixed audiences
- Provenance (ownership history) research and museum ethics
- Budgeting and grant writing
- Careful handling of fragile objects
- Diplomacy with donors, lenders and colleagues
Education and Training
A master's degree in art history, history, anthropology or museum studies is the usual starting point, matching the entry level BLS lists for curators. Internships and volunteer work at small museums, often done while still in school, give applicants the hands-on collection experience hiring committees want. The career path runs from assistant curator to curator and then chief curator, and a reading knowledge of a second language is a plus for research.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $48,870 - $83,080 per year, with a median of $63,420.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Curators.
BLS projects employment of curators to grow about 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 1,600 openings a year. It is a small, competitive field. Hiring often is tied to museum budgets and gifts from donors, but curators always will be needed as collections grow and as museums plan new exhibitions.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Curators.