How much does a curator make?

The median pay is $30.49 per hour — roughly $63,500 a year, with the real range running from about $19.46/hr (10th percentile) to $51.51/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a curator?

The typical entry-level education is: Master's degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).

What does a curator actually do all day?

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.

Education

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.

What it pays
Curators earn a median of $30.49/hr — about $63,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.46/hr; the top 10% earn $51.51/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Master's degree. Overall preparation: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).

The feel of the work

It rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 13.1% of curators are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, take-charge and people-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a curator make?: The median pay is $30.49 per hour — roughly $63,500 a year, with the real range running from about $19.46/hr (10th percentile) to $51.51/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a curator?: The typical entry-level education is: Master's degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
What does a curator actually do all day?: 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.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

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