Acquire, care for, and display museum collections, and plan exhibits for the public.
You may also see this posted as: Collections Curator, Collections Manager, Curator, Education Curator, Exhibitions Curator, Exhibits Curator.
Museums, galleries, and archives
Full time, some evening events
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
Enterprising
leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action
Social
helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people
O*NET job zone 5 of 5
Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant 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 13.1% 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.
Master's degree
Training path: Master's in a relevant field.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: None.
No license required to start in most places.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
Cares for a museum's collections and plans the exhibits the public sees, work that usually needs a graduate degree.
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Standard Occupational Classification 25-4012. 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.