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Museum Technicians and Conservators

Typical education: Master's degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they 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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $51,440 Median per year · $24.73/hr Most earn $33,780–$87,530

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Direct and supervise curatorial, technical, and student staff in the handling, mounting, care, and storage of art objects.
  • Study object documentation or conduct standard chemical and physical tests to ascertain the object's age, composition, original appearance, need for treatment or restoration, and appropriate preservation method.
  • Perform on-site field work which may involve interviewing people, inspecting and identifying artifacts, note-taking, viewing sites and collections, and repainting exhibition spaces.
  • Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration.
  • Plan and conduct research to develop and improve methods of restoring and preserving specimens.
  • Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 1,600 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions42.2%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service15.8%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools12.3%
  • Self-employed (their own business)7.9%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals6.8%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Museum Technicians and Conservators usually need a master's degree and about 2 to 4 years of related work before they land this job, so it is not an entry-level role straight out of school. Most people get there through a bachelor's degree, some museum or collections work, and then graduate training.

  1. Bachelor's degree in art history, chemistry, anthropology, or studio art

    4 years

    A broad undergraduate degree builds the knowledge of objects, materials, or history that conservation programs look for, and it is where you find your favorite collection type.

  2. Museum Collections Assistant or Museum Assistant

    1-2 years

    Working hands-on with objects, storage, records, or exhibit setup shows you how museums actually run and gives you the experience graduate programs want to see.

  3. Master's degree in art conservation, museum studies, or a related field

    2-3 years

    Graduate programs teach hands-on treatment methods, materials science, and ethics, and they usually include internships that lead to the job.

  4. Museum Technician / Conservator

    Ongoing

    With your master's training and prior experience, you prepare, restore, and maintain collection objects for research, storage, or exhibits.

Where it can lead

  1. Curator

    4-6 years of experience first

    Curators shift from hands-on care to deciding what a museum collects, researching objects, and leading exhibits, which usually means more research and management work.

  2. Lead Conservator

    5+ years of experience first

    Lead conservators supervise other staff, plan treatment projects, and handle the most complex or valuable objects, which requires a strong track record and leadership skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take chemistry and biologyConservation and specimen work rely on understanding materials, decay, and how substances react.
  • Take art and art history classesThese classes teach you how objects are made, what styles and materials mean, and how to look closely at details.
  • Volunteer at a museum, library, or historical siteHelping with cataloging, cleaning, or setting up displays gives you real experience with collections.
  • Join a science, art, or history clubClubs give you a chance to build skills, work on projects, and talk with people who share your interests.
  • Get a part-time job that involves careful handling or record-keepingJobs at a library, bookstore, or craft shop build the attention to detail that collection work needs.

In college

  • Major in art history, chemistry, or studio artA focused major gives you the subject knowledge that conservation graduate programs expect.
  • Take a conservation, museum studies, or materials science course if your school offers oneSpecialized courses show you what the work involves and help you prepare for graduate school.
  • Apply for a museum internship or collections assistant jobReal experience with objects and museum staff is what graduate programs and employers look for.
  • Join an art, history, or science student organizationGroups like these connect you with faculty, guest speakers, and people already working in museums.
  • Build a portfolio or lab notebook of your workClear photos, notes, and documentation of your projects show that you can record and care for objects carefully.

Tips for getting started

  • Volunteer at a local museum, historical society, or library archive. Hands-on time with real collections is one of the best ways to see if this work suits you.
  • Pick up strong science and art classes, and practice careful, detailed record-keeping, since conservation depends on both.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • History Master's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $49,924 a year · typical debt $31,702
  • Fine and Studio Arts Master's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $39,982 a year · typical debt $44,678
  • Museology/Museum Studies Master's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $46,567 a year · typical debt $49,300

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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