Curators

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Education & Library
• O*NET-SOC code: 25-4012
• O*NET job zone: 5 — extensive preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to ensure that climate and pest control issues are addressed.
• Write and review grant proposals, journal articles, institutional reports, and publicity materials.
• Design, organize, or conduct tours, workshops, and instructional or educational sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and materials.
• Attend meetings, conventions, and civic events to promote use of institution's services, to seek financing, and to maintain community alliances.
• Train and supervise curatorial, fiscal, technical, research, and clerical staff, as well as volunteers or interns.
• Confer with the board of directors to formulate and interpret policies, to determine budget requirements, and to plan overall operations.

Tools and technology

Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Apple macOS, Autodesk AutoCAD, Extensible markup language XML, Facebook, Linux, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Archivists
• Historians
• Museum Technicians and Conservators
• Librarians and Media Collections Specialists
• Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
• Set and Exhibit Designers
• Anthropologists and Archeologists
• History Teachers, Postsecondary

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 5 (extensive preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Curators — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.