Clean, repair, and preserve artifacts and artworks, documenting their condition and slowing further damage over time.
You may also see this posted as: Conservator, Objects Conservator, Paintings Conservator, Preparator, Art Preparator, Conservation Technician.
Museums, labs, and archives
Full time, regular hours
Realistic
working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
O*NET job zone 4 of 5
High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
BLS estimates 12% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Bachelor's degree
Training path: Bachelor's degree, graduate training common.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: None.
No license is required, though conservators often complete graduate training in the field.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
Restores and preserves artifacts and works of art by hand, a role separate from the curator, who selects and manages what a collection holds.
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Standard Occupational Classification 25-4013. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.