Museum Curator
Interest in consulting to recommend the acquisition of paintings, photographs, sculptures, documents and other museum and art gallery artifacts; and in supervising curatorial assistants and other museum technicians
Interest in overseeing the conservation, display and circulation of collections
Interest in co-ordinating information to develop story lines and themes, and in organizing displays and exhibitions
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation. It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes is listed in order of importance.
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Duties and responsibilities vary considerably from one position to another but, in general, curators:
In smaller facilities, curators also may:
In larger institutions, curators usually are responsible for specific collections or represent particular academic disciplines.
Some curators may specialize in arts and crafts, co-ordinating exhibitions, or producing publications, online content and other related activities. Others specialize in sciences such as paleontology or ethnography, but do not engage in the acquisition process.
Curators work in offices, storage areas and exhibition galleries, in the community at large, in labs and in the field (for example, at archaeological sites). Their hours of work vary and often include evenings and weekends.
When conducting fieldwork, curators may live in tents or in local housing in remote locations, working long hours (sometimes alone) for extended periods of time. Fieldwork often is seasonal and some of the work can be physically demanding. Travel to other countries may be required.
When working in labs, curators may use materials containing toxic chemicals. They must follow safety precautions to avoid injury or illness. Curators may work with firearms in collections. They may also work on ladders or scaffolding and may be required to lift items that weigh up to 20 kilograms.
Curators need to possess:
They should enjoy advising others and co-ordinating others' work, taking a methodical, detailed approach to their work and finding innovative solutions to problems. They should be able to listen non-judgmentally and deal with sensitive situations or issues that require high standards of integrity. Those who work in smaller facilities should enjoy variety and multitasking.
There is no standard education requirement for curators in Alberta but most facilities prefer to hire job applicants who have at least a bachelor's degree in a related field of study. Medium and larger institutions generally prefer to hire applicants who have a master's or doctoral degree in a field such as museum studies, history, archeology, fine arts, art history, anthropology, botany, zoology or geology. Since this field is small and competitive, graduate work at the doctoral level is often required for employment in senior positions in large museums or universities.
Prospective curators are strongly advised to discuss their education options with practising curators before enrolling in an education program.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
For a broad list of programs and courses that may be related to this occupation try searching using keywords.
Outside of Alberta, the following schools offer programs specifically related to curatorship:
Curators work in public and private museums, historic sites, universities, art galleries, zoos, botanical gardens and other related facilities. They may be employees or work as private contractors.
There are over 250 museums, historic sites, art galleries and zoos in Alberta. Some are seasonal; others are open year round. In medium and large facilities, curators usually start in junior positions and advance to more senior positions. When applying for a junior position, related volunteer or paid work experience and courses in museum studies are definite assets.
Curators are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 5112: Conservators and Curators. In Alberta, 77% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:
The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
Salaries vary depending on the nature of the organization (for example, government or not-for-profit society), the size of the facility, the responsibilities of the position and the qualifications of the curator.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $15.50 | $37.49 | $30.90 | $34.96 |
| Overall | $11.78 | $49.15 | $35.82 | $39.25 |
| Top | $14.71 | $49.15 | $39.58 | $45.82 |
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* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
Alberta Museums Association website: www.museums.ab.ca
For more information on career planning, education and jobs, visit the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) website, call the Alberta Career Information Hotline toll-free at 1-800-661-3753 or 780-422-4266 in Edmonton, or visit an Alberta Works Centre near you.
Updated Dec 19, 2016. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.