Museum curator
Career outlook for museum curator
UK Salary Ranges
Entry-level
£18,000
£18,000
Experienced
£40,000
£40,000
Currently employed in Scotland
2,000
Salary information is provided by the "National Careers Service". "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.
What's it like?
You would create displays of historic objects, pieces of art and all sorts of other items to help people understand more about the past and different cultures.
You would make sure that the collections of objects of artistic, scientific, historical and general interest are looked after properly.
You’d find ways to display the collections so that visitors can enjoy them. The exhibitions will help visitors learn more about how people lived in the past, and its impact on how they live today.
You would:
- Select, buy or borrow items
- Organise records, catalogues and indexes, usually on computer
- Make sure exhibits are stored in the right conditions
- Arrange conservation and restoration
- Set up displays and exhibitions
- Help visitors to understand and enjoy exhibits and collections
- Manage budgets
- Organise publicity and fundraising
- Liaise with staff in other museum
- Give talks to groups
- Supervise staff
In large museums you might specialise in one area. In a small general museum you would have wider responsibilities.
You’d need to be good at planning and organising. You’d need to be able to build strong relationships with other organisations and businesses so you can work together on projects.
Working conditions
Hours
Environment
UK employment status
Full-time
34%
Part-time
23%
Self employed
43%
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- Verbal communication
- Written communication
- Innovative
- Researching
- Attention to detail
- Sorting
- Developing a plan
- Taking responsibility
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Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Qualifications
Entry requirements vary depending on the type of museum or gallery.
You'll usually require a degree (SCQF Level 9/10) relevant to the collection you want to curate. Useful subjects include:
- Museum or heritage studies
- Archaeology
- Ancient history
- Classics
- Art history
- Natural sciences
- Anthropology
- Education
This field is very competitive. Some employers expect a postgraduate qualification (SCQF Level 11).
To enter a postgraduate qualification in museum and gallery studies or a similar subject requires a 2:1 honours degree and relevant experience.
Some larger museums offer a limited number of curator traineeships for graduates.
Useful subjects
- English (required by many employers and courses)
- Math (required by many employers and courses)
- ICT
- Business
- Social subjects such as history
- Languages
You will also need
As museum work is a competitive field, gaining experience through volunteering or an internship is essential.
Most entrants start out as an assistant curator or keeper.
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