Museum curator
Museum and art gallery curators manage collections of objects of artistic, scientific, historical and general interest.
Also known as: Art gallery curator
- Starter salary£25,000 a year
- Experienced£43,000 a year
- Typical hours38 to 42 a week
What you'll do
As a museum or gallery curator, you could:
- plan exhibitions and educational projects
- make sure exhibits are safe, stored securely and in the right conditions
- arrange conservation and restoration of items
- research and identify items in collections
- oversee projects to digitally catalogue collections
- help visitors to interpret and enjoy exhibits and collections
- organise promotional publicity, events and fundraising campaigns
- give talks to professionals, school children, students and the public
- train or supervise staff and volunteers
Working environment
You could work in a museum or at an art gallery.
Your working environment may be physically active.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- an interest and knowledge of history
- knowledge of the fine arts
- leadership skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- business management skills
- knowledge of how to teach and engage learners
- the ability to use your initiative
- the ability to work well with others
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a museum curator
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
University
You can start by doing a degree in a subject like:
- fine art or art history
- museum or heritage studies
- archaeology or ancient history
- classics
- natural sciences
- anthropology
- education
You can also study for a postgraduate qualification in museum and gallery studies, or in a particular style or period of art or history. This may give you an advantage when applying for jobs.
Some universities will require a relevant first degree to apply for a postgraduate course. Others may accept most subjects but expect you to have a lot of work experience to back up your application.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
Apprenticeship
You may be able to apply for a Curator Level 7 Apprenticeship with a cultural or heritage organisation.
This can take around 3 years to complete and combines on-the-job training with off-site learning.
Entry requirements
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
Work
You may be able to work as a collections assistant, education officer or conservator, before becoming a museum or gallery curator through training and promotion.
Volunteering
Paid or unpaid work experience in a museum, gallery or heritage property is usually essential to apply for courses and jobs.
Career path and progression
You can work in small independent museums and galleries, and regional or national institutions. You may need to relocate to take up new job opportunities.
There are lots of different opportunities in the sector from museum or gallery management to public engagement and education roles. You will need to plan your continuous professional development and take advantage of the training available to advance your career.
Career tips
Digital skills are becoming increasingly important in this career, for example for cataloguing and archival purposes, and producing online and interactive content for wider public engagement. Any skills you can develop through work or volunteering will be helpful.
Professional and industry bodies
You can join the Museums Association for professional development and to make industry contacts.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleConservator
- Job roleArchivist
- Job roleFine artist
- Job roleMuseum attendant
- Job roleExhibition designer
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0