Curators

What Curators Do

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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

13.1%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• English Languageimportance 4.6/5
• History and Archeologyimportance 4.5/5
• Fine Artsimportance 3.8/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 3.3/5
• Sociology and Anthropologyimportance 3.3/5
• Communications and Mediaimportance 3.2/5
• Administrativeimportance 3.1/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 3.1/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail4.7/5
• Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.7/5
• Telephone Conversations4.6/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
• Freedom to Make Decisions4.5/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.5/5

Related Careers

• Archivists
• Historians
• Museum Technicians and Conservators
• Librarians and Media Collections Specialists
• Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
• Set and Exhibit Designers
• Anthropologists and Archeologists
• History Teachers, Postsecondary

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary99% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers97% skill match
• Purchasing Managers97% skill match
• Training and Development Managers97% skill match
• Medical and Health Services Managers96% skill match
• Dietitians and Nutritionists96% skill match
• Art Directors96% skill match
• Sales Managers96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.6/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.5/5
• Systems Analysisimportance 3.4/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.3/5
• Systems Evaluationimportance 3.3/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Innovation
• Integrity
• Achievement Orientation
• Leadership Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• ConventionalHigh
• EnterprisingMedium
• SocialMedium
• InvestigativeMedium
• ArtisticLow
• RealisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where curators make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Montgomery, AL3.73× national avg
2. 2Urban Honolulu, HI3.31× national avg
3. 3Ann Arbor, MI3.30× national avg
4. 4New Haven, CT3.18× national avg
5. 5Durham-Chapel Hill, NC3.07× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Art DirectorsCareer Change
• Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryCareer Change
• Chief ExecutivesCareer Change
• Medical and Health Services ManagersCareer Change

See the full career path from Curators →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.