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Education

Curators

Administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. May conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.

Median salary (BLS)

$63,420

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$40k – $107k

Job outlook

+7% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $85,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Curators

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$64,100–$230,700

Time to qualify

6.3 yr

Renewal

$20/yr

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Master's degree

    Degree

    Typically two years; average graduate tuition ≈ $20,000/yr at public universities (NCES).

    $24,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

  3. 3

    State teaching certification

    License

    Approved educator-prep program, pedagogy & subject exams, background check, and a state application.

    $100–$700 · 3 months · varies by state · renews every 5 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Curators" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Curators

    Entry / Junior

    $40,470

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Curators

    Established

    $63,420

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Curators

    Senior

    $85,280

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials, including the selection of exhibition themes and designs, and develop or install exhibit materials.
  • •Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases.
  • •Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise.
  • •Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public.
  • •Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.