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Art preparator vs art conservator

The differences between art preparators and art conservators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an art preparator and an art conservator. Additionally, an art conservator has an average salary of $60,547, which is higher than the $59,856 average annual salary of an art preparator.

The top three skills for an art preparator include art exhibitions, art installation and art preparation. The most important skills for an art conservator are conservation practices, , and .

Art preparator vs art conservator overview

Art PreparatorArt Conservator
Yearly salary$59,856$60,547
Hourly rate$28.78$29.11
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs2,7692,737
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 85%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Art preparator vs art conservator salary

Art preparators and art conservators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Art PreparatorArt Conservator
Average salary$59,856$60,547
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $120,000Between $29,000 And $125,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between art preparator and art conservator education

There are a few differences between an art preparator and an art conservator in terms of educational background:

Art PreparatorArt Conservator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 85%
Most common majorFine ArtsFine Arts
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Art preparator vs art conservator demographics

Here are the differences between art preparators' and art conservators' demographics:

Art PreparatorArt Conservator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 78.3% Female, 21.7%Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 3.5% White, 77.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 5.2% Asian, 3.5% White, 81.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between art preparator and art conservator duties and responsibilities

Art preparator example responsibilities.

  • Manage graphic arts department and camera and typesetting departments.
  • Work on set design and advance photo editing including color swapping and color correcting for commercial photography studio.
  • Generate quotes for custom screen print and embroidery projects that require art time and or outside service bureau charges.

Art conservator example responsibilities.

  • Manage graphic arts department and camera and typesetting departments.
  • Work on set design and advance photo editing including color swapping and color correcting for commercial photography studio.
  • Generate quotes for custom screen print and embroidery projects that require art time and or outside service bureau charges.

Art preparator vs art conservator skills

Common art preparator skills
  • Art Exhibitions, 34%
  • Art Installation, 21%
  • Art Preparation, 21%
  • Museum Standards, 15%
  • Condition Reports, 9%
Common art conservator skills
  • Conservation Practices, 100%

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