Museum technicians and conservators

SOC Code: 25-4013
Also known as:
Archaeological Technician, Armorer Technician, Art Conservator, Art Handler, Art Objects Repairer
Median Annual Salary
$47,460
+5.4% growth (2024-2034)
2K
Openings/Year
16K
Current Jobs

What Museum technicians and conservators Do

Restore, maintain, or prepare objects in museum collections for storage, research, or exhibit. May work with specimens such as fossils, skeletal parts, or botanicals; or artifacts, textiles, or art. May identify and record objects or install and arrange them in exhibits. Includes book or document conservators.

💰 Salary

$47,460
Median annual wage (2024)

📈 Job Growth

+5.4%
Faster than average

🎓 Education

Bachelor's degree
Typical entry-level requirement

🚀 Annual Openings

2K
Projected average per year

Employment Projections (2024-2034)

Current Employment (2024)

15,700

Projected Employment (2034)

16,500

Related Careers

Historians

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Archivists

$61,570 • +3.8% growth
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Curators

$61,770 • +7.0% growth
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Craft artists

$38,480 • +2.1% growth
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Set and exhibit designers

$66,280 • +2.3% growth
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Top Skills Required

Active Listening
Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Writing
Critical Thinking

Daily Tasks & Responsibilities

  • Install, arrange, assemble, and prepare artifacts for exhibition, ensuring the artifacts' safety, reporting their status and condition, and identifying and correcting any problems with the set up.
  • Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration.
  • Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.
  • Photograph objects for documentation.
  • Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair.
  • Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping.
  • Enter information about museum collections into computer databases.
  • Recommend preservation procedures, such as control of temperature and humidity, to curatorial and building staff.
  • Notify superior when restoration of artifacts requires outside experts.
  • Supervise and work with volunteers.

Technology & Tools

Adobe Acrobat Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe Photoshop Autodesk AutoCAD Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook

📚 Entry-Level Education

Bachelor's degree
Most common requirement

🎯 Recommended Education

Master's Degree
O*NET recommended level

Degree Programs for Museum technicians and conservators

These degree programs can prepare you for a career as a museum technicians and conservators:

Art History, Criticism and Conservation

3,557 degrees awarded • 351 colleges offer this program
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Museology/Museum Studies

838 degrees awarded • 77 colleges offer this program
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Public/Applied History

743 degrees awarded • 54 colleges offer this program
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Best Colleges for Becoming a Museum technicians and conservators

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees in related programs. These are the top-rated colleges that prepare students to become museum technicians and conservators.

# College Location Related Degrees Repit Grade
1 University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 62 A+
2 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI 39 A+
3 New York University New York, NY 150 A
4 Harvard University Cambridge, MA 117 A
5 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD 109 A
6 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY 75 A
7 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 64 A
8 Yale University New Haven, CT 53 A
9 University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA 49 A
10 University of Georgia Athens, GA 47 A
11 Boston University Boston, MA 43 A
12 University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 42 A
13 University of Chicago Chicago, IL 34 A
14 Tufts University Medford, MA 32 A
15 Princeton University Princeton, NJ 28 A
16 Brown University Providence, RI 27 A
17 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 23 A
18 Emory University Atlanta, GA 21 A
19 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 21 A
20 Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO 21 A

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do museum technicians and conservators make?
The median annual salary for museum technicians and conservators is $47,460.
What education do museum technicians and conservators need?
Most museum technicians and conservators positions require a bachelor's degree. Common degree programs include Art History, Criticism and Conservation, Museology/Museum Studies, Public/Applied History.
Is becoming museum technicians and conservators a good career choice?
Museum technicians and conservators is projected to see +5.4% job growth from 2024 to 2034, which is faster than average for all occupations. With approximately 1,900 job openings expected annually, there are good opportunities for those entering the field.
What are the best colleges for museum technicians and conservators?
Top colleges for aspiring museum technicians and conservators include University of California-Los Angeles, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, New York University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University. These schools are ranked based on their Repit grade and the number of graduates in related programs.
What other job titles are similar to museum technicians and conservators?
Museum technicians and conservators may also be known as: Archaeological Technician, Armorer Technician, Art Conservator, Art Handler, Art Objects Repairer, Art Preparator, Artifacts Conservator, Ceramic Restorer, Conservation Specialist, Conservation Technician, Conservation Worker, Conservator, Conservator Technician, Document Restorer, Ethnographic Materials Conservator, Exhibit Preparator, Exhibit Technician, Exhibition Designer, Exhibitions Coordinator, Exhibits Coordinator. These titles often refer to similar roles with varying responsibilities or specializations.