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
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Collections Curator, Collections Manager, Education Curator, Exhibitions Curator, Exhibits Curator, Museum Curator, Photography Curator, Vertebrate Zoology 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.
Curator Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $40,470 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $48,870 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $63,420 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $83,080 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $107,140 |
Highest-Paying States for Curators
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($93,310), New Hampshire ($82,490), New York ($79,120), California ($78,740), Rhode Island ($77,930). Pay is lowest in North Carolina ($49,470), South Carolina ($47,200), Mississippi ($40,600).
Median pay in all 49 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,120 |
| Alaska | $63,880 |
| Arizona | $63,510 |
| Arkansas | $53,870 |
| California | $78,740 |
| Colorado | $73,630 |
| Connecticut | $76,510 |
| Delaware | $56,800 |
| District of Columbia | $93,310 |
| Florida | $59,500 |
| Georgia | $57,810 |
| Hawaii | $50,720 |
| Idaho | $62,190 |
| Illinois | $63,060 |
| Indiana | $53,910 |
| Iowa | $53,830 |
| Kansas | $56,630 |
| Kentucky | $55,460 |
| Louisiana | $60,080 |
| Maine | $56,470 |
| Maryland | $63,750 |
| Massachusetts | $77,790 |
| Michigan | $63,190 |
| Minnesota | $53,920 |
| Mississippi | $40,600 |
| Missouri | $59,960 |
| Montana | $54,460 |
| Nebraska | $58,600 |
| Nevada | $69,900 |
| New Hampshire | $82,490 |
| New Jersey | $77,800 |
| New Mexico | $63,690 |
| New York | $79,120 |
| North Carolina | $49,470 |
| Ohio | $63,640 |
| Oklahoma | $60,560 |
| Oregon | $62,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,100 |
| Rhode Island | $77,930 |
| South Carolina | $47,200 |
| South Dakota | $74,990 |
| Tennessee | $57,580 |
| Texas | $59,990 |
| Utah | $59,910 |
| Vermont | $56,520 |
| Virginia | $58,200 |
| Washington | $74,030 |
| Wisconsin | $64,370 |
| Wyoming | $61,910 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as curators about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 85% use email every day
- 80% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 77% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 76% are on the phone every day
- 69% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 69% have a lot of freedom to make decisions
- 65% spend more than half the workday sitting
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Master's degree | 44% |
| Doctoral degree | 35% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 6% |
Tools and Software Curators Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy organized work with data, records and clear procedures as well as leading, persuading and making business decisions.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, Writing, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving.
Knowledge areas used most: English Language, History and Archeology, Fine Arts, Administration and Management, Sociology and Anthropology.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 5 of 5, which means extensive preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Curator Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 25-4012.00 (Curators). View on O*NET OnLine.
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