Museum Technicians and Conservators earn a median of $51,440 per year ($24.73/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 3.6% through 2035, with about 1,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 25-4013
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Museum Technician and Conservator in four numbers
- Median pay
- $51,440a year, or $24.73/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $34KTop 10% $88K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.6%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,60014,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202514K
- Projected 203514.5K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 14K Projected 2035 14.5K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Conservation Technician (Conservation Tech), Conservator, Exhibit Technician (Exhibit Tech), Museum Registrar, Museum Technician (Museum Tech), Objects Conservator.
Pay
How much do Museum Technicians and Conservators make?
Every museum technician and conservator in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$51,440
Middle half earn $41,050 to $67,640
- 10th
- $33,780
- 25th
- $41,050
- 75th
- $67,640
- 90th
- $87,530
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $33,780 |
| 25th | $41,050 |
| Median | $51,440 |
| 75th | $67,640 |
| 90th | $87,530 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $51,440
- Median hourly wage
- $24.73/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $57,410
- People employed
- 12,310
Versus all US occupations
At $51,440, the median for Museum Technicians and Conservators sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus educational instruction and library occupations
Inside the Educational Instruction and Library group, where the middle occupation pays $68,270, this is 25% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $87,530 or more while the bottom 10% earn $33,780, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 24% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Maryland pays the most at $76,900, and still leads at $73,267 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Museum Technicians and Conservators the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Maryland | $76,900 | $73,267 | 450 |
| 2District of Columbia | $76,110 | $69,253 | 520 |
| 3New York | $74,550 | $69,078 | 1,050 |
| 4Connecticut | $62,030 | $59,869 | 280 |
| 5California | $61,550 | $55,591 | 1,610 |
| 6Alaska | $60,840 | $59,438 | 60 |
| 7Washington | $59,610 | $55,704 | 280 |
| 8Massachusetts | $58,530 | $55,344 | 440 |
| 9Illinois | $56,720 | $56,744 | 400 |
| 10New Mexico | $56,670 | $61,456 | 100 |
Job outlook
Is Museum Technician and Conservator a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Museum Technicians and Conservators | +3.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Museum Technicians and Conservators to change 3.6% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,600 openings are projected each year, 11.4% of the 14,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of archivists, curators, and museum workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Demand for archivists is expected to increase as public and private organizations have more information and records that need to be organized and made accessible. In particular, the growing use of electronic records may create jobs for archivists.
Continued public interest in museums and other cultural centers is expected to increase the demand for curators, museum technicians, and conservators.
Getting in
How to become a Museum Technician and Conservator
Archivists, curators, and conservators typically need a master’s degree; museum technicians typically need a bachelor’s degree. Fields of degree may include fine and performing arts, history, or social science. Experience gained through an internship or by volunteering in archives or museums is helpful.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
Full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entryThe work
What does a Museum Technician and Conservator do?
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.
Archivists appraise, process, catalog, and preserve permanent records and historically valuable documents. Curators oversee collections of artwork and historical items and may conduct public service activities for an institution. Museum technicians and conservators prepare and restore objects and documents in museum collections and exhibits.
Day-to-day tasks
- Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair.
- Recommend preservation procedures, such as control of temperature and humidity, to curatorial and building staff.
- Study object documentation or conduct standard chemical and physical tests to ascertain the object's age, composition, original appearance, need for treatment or restoration, and appropriate preservation method.
- Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.
- Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration.
- Perform tests and examinations to establish storage and conservation requirements, policies, and procedures.
- Direct and supervise curatorial, technical, and student staff in the handling, mounting, care, and storage of art objects.
- Photograph objects for documentation.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most archivists, curators, museum technicians, and conservators work full time.
Archivists in government agencies and corporations generally work during regular business hours. Curators in large institutions may travel extensively to evaluate potential additions to the collection, organize exhibits, and conduct research. For curators in small institutions, however, travel may be rare. Museum technicians may need to work evenings and weekends if their institutions are open to the public during those times.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.6
- Writing3.4
- Critical Thinking3.4
- Monitoring3.4
- Active Learning3.1
- Learning Strategies2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Writing | 3.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.4 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Instructing3.0
- Time Management2.9
- Service Orientation2.8
- Quality Control Analysis2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 2.9 |
| Service Orientation | 2.8 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Object oriented data base management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Museum Technician and Conservator?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Museum Technician and Conservator |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic5.7
- Conventional4.6
- Investigative3.2
- Artistic3.1
- Social2.6
- Enterprising1.5
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Museum Technician and Conservator
O*NET related occupations
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
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Fine Artist, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
$55,490median a year
Most earn $32K to $144K
−2.9%Bachelor's
More educational instruction and library careers
Median annual pay, with museum technicians and conservators highlighted
- Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary$80,250
- Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$74,260
- Librarian$68,270
- Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School$66,270
- Kindergarten Teacher$62,680
- Museum Technician and Conservator$51,440
- Library Technician$44,580
- Tutor$43,350
- Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education$38,140
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary | $80,250 |
| Special Education Teacher, Secondary School | $74,260 |
| Librarian | $68,270 |
| Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School | $66,270 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $62,680 |
| Museum Technician and Conservator | $51,440 |
| Library Technician | $44,580 |
| Tutor | $43,350 |
| Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education | $38,140 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within museum technician and conservator
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Museum Technician and Conservator appears on
Questions
Museum Technician and Conservator: frequently asked questions
How much do Museum Technicians and Conservators make?
Museum Technicians and Conservators earn a median of $51,440 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $24.73/hr. The middle half earn between $41,050 and $67,640. The top 10% earn $87,530 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Museum Technician and Conservator?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Museum Technicians and Conservators, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation.
Is Museum Technician and Conservator a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.6% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Museum Technician and Conservator do?
Archivists appraise, process, catalog, and preserve permanent records and historically valuable documents. A core O*NET task: determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Desktop publishing software, Document management software.
Which states pay Museum Technicians and Conservators the most?
The highest state medians for Museum Technicians and Conservators are Maryland ($76,900), District of Columbia ($76,110), New York ($74,550) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Museum Technician and Conservator?
O*NET scores Museum Technicians and Conservators highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.