Photo: U.S. National Archives (Public domain)
Job description
Curators plan exhibitions from concept to installation, choosing themes and designs while also maintaining the cataloging and record-keeping systems that track every piece in a collection. Much of the role involves research, whether running special projects in an area of expertise or fielding questions from other curators and the public about the institution's holdings, alongside negotiating the purchase, sale, or loan of pieces. Because climate and pests can damage a collection quickly, curators also regularly inspect facilities for needed repairs; most positions require a Master's degree in art history, museum studies, or a related field, with a PhD common at larger institutions.
Pros
- Faster than average projected job growth (7%), strong for a museum-sector role
- Varied work blending research, collections management, and public engagement
- A master's degree is sufficient for many roles, without always requiring a PhD
Cons
- A relatively small number of positions nationwide (1,800) makes the field competitive
- Above-average hours, often exceeding a standard 40-hour work week
- Entry-level pay can be modest, starting around $40k despite the graduate degree requirement
A typical day
The morning starts in storage, not the gallery: condition-checking a 19th-century textile due to ship for a loan, with a conservator debating whether it can travel at all. Acquisition work follows — researching the provenance of a painting offered by a donor, because a gap in the ownership history between 1933 and 1945 is a question that must be answered before any museum accepts it. The afternoon belongs to the spring exhibition: selecting the forty objects that tell the story, writing label text that a twelve-year-old and a scholar can both get something from, and negotiating with the registrar over which cases can hold light-sensitive works. A donor tour at 4pm requires a different register — part scholarship, part hospitality. The collection outlives everyone who tends it; curators think in decades.
Tasks at the job
- 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.
- Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to ensure that climate and pest control issues are addressed.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting.
You're expected to exercise significant independent judgment day to day. The work is highly structured, following set procedures.
Education necessary or common
Master's degree in art history, museum studies, history, or a related field; a PhD is common at larger institutions
Common college majors
Career path
Related fields
Courses to take
- AP Art History — the discipline's foundation for art museums
- AP U.S. or World History — historical thinking for history museums
- English/AP English Language — labels, catalogs, and grants are writing
- A world language — research often crosses languages
- Chemistry — conservation science awareness
Clubs, activities & competitions
- Museum teen programs or docent training — many museums run them
- History Day competitions — real research and exhibition-building
- Art club or history club
- Library or archive volunteering
- Curate anything: a display case at school, a digital exhibit
First steps you can take now
- Ask your local museum about teen volunteer or youth council programs
- Curate a small exhibit — physical or digital — around one theme with ten objects and labels
- Read the wall text critically at your next museum visit: what choices were made?
- Interview a curator or collections manager about their path
