Occupations/25-4013.00
Museum Technicians and Conservators
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.
Usually a four-year bachelor’s degree.
AI automation risk
40%
Mixed exposure
Human characteristics
46%
Balanced human and task mix
Task orientation
36%
More resilient
A day in this job
- Mostly routine
Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.
- Mostly routine
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.
- Task
Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration.
The tasks we can read here lean routine. That sits next to the AI risk rank — it is not a forecast that the job disappears.
Core tasks
- 01Install, 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.
- 02Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration.
- 03Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.
- 04Photograph objects for documentation.
- 05Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair.
- 06Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping.
Model drivers (O*NET 1–5)
- Repeating same tasks3.23
- Degree of automation1.44
- Time sitting2.65
- Originality (ability)3.38
- Conflict situations2.30
- Hands-on objects/tools3.56
- Outdoors / weather1.92
- Disease exposure1.01
- Decision freedom4.60
Top abilities
- Oral Expression3.75
- Near Vision3.75
- Oral Comprehension3.62
- Information Ordering3.62
- Written Expression3.50
- Written Comprehension3.50
- Speech Recognition3.50
- Speech Clarity3.50
Essential skills
- Reading Comprehension3.62
- Active Listening3.88
- Writing3.25
- Speaking3.62
- Mathematics2.25
- Science2.38
- Critical Thinking3.25
- Active Learning3.00
- Learning Strategies2.88
- Monitoring3.12
CIP matches
Schools offering related programs
12 of 80 shown
Earnings are College Scorecard medians for that program, 1 and 2 years after completion. A dash means the Department suppressed the cell or the campus is not in the field file.
| Institution | Program | Tuition | Admit | Grad 6-yr | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Georgetown University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit | Museology/Museum Studies 30.1401 | $65,400 | 12% | 95% | 1 yr $48,041 2 yr — Master's · CIP 30.14 |
Howard University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit | Museology/Museum Studies 30.1401 | $33,200 | 53% | 65% | 1 yr $41,379 2 yr $43,798 Master's · CIP 30.14 |
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA · Public | Art History, Criticism and Conservation 50.0703 | $14,800 | 11% | 93% | 1 yr $40,896 2 yr $45,082 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
Northeastern University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit | Art History, Criticism and Conservation 50.0703 | $63,200 | 7% | 91% | 1 yr $40,485 2 yr $32,382 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY · Private nonprofit | Art History, Criticism and Conservation 50.0703 | $68,200 | 4% | 96% | 1 yr $40,281 2 yr $30,409 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA · Public | Public/Applied History 54.0105 | $11,800 | 17% | 91% | 1 yr $38,289 2 yr — Bachelor's · CIP 54.01 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA · Public | Museology/Museum Studies 30.1401 | $12,600 | 48% | 84% | 1 yr $37,424 2 yr $34,908 Master's · CIP 30.14 |
Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI · Public | Public/Applied History 54.0105 | $4,900 | 100% | 27% | 1 yr $36,042 2 yr $37,856 Bachelor's · CIP 54.01 |
Winona State University Winona, MN · Public | Art History, Criticism and Conservation 50.0703 | $10,500 | 77% | 67% | 1 yr $35,594 2 yr $29,685 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | Art History, Criticism and Conservation 50.0703 | $68,200 | 12% | 92% | 1 yr $35,060 2 yr $37,208 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Chicago, IL · Public | Art History, Criticism and Conservation 50.0703 | $4,600 | 100% | 27% | 1 yr $33,993 2 yr $32,382 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · Public | Public/Applied History 54.0105 | $10,700 | 86% | 79% | 1 yr $33,565 2 yr $31,495 Bachelor's · CIP 54.01 |