Conservator vs exhibit technician

The differences between conservators and exhibit technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a conservator and an exhibit technician. Additionally, a conservator has an average salary of $46,396, which is higher than the $34,387 average annual salary of an exhibit technician.

The top three skills for a conservator include social security, condition reports and photographic documentation. The most important skills for an exhibit technician are exhibit design, prototyping, and exhibit maintenance.

Conservator vs exhibit technician overview

	Conservator	Exhibit Technician
Yearly salary	$46,396	$34,387
Hourly rate	$22.31	$16.53
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	79	5,760
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Conservator vs exhibit technician salary

Conservators and exhibit technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Conservator	Exhibit Technician
Average salary	$46,396	$34,387
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $86,000	Between $18,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	-
Highest paying state	Connecticut	-
Best paying company	The Mariners' Museum and Park	-
Best paying industry	Non Profits	-

Differences between conservator and exhibit technician education

There are a few differences between a conservator and an exhibit technician in terms of educational background:

	Conservator	Exhibit Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Fine Arts	Fine Arts
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	Harvard University

Conservator vs exhibit technician demographics

Here are the differences between conservators' and exhibit technicians' demographics:

	Conservator	Exhibit Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9%	Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between conservator and exhibit technician duties and responsibilities

Conservator example responsibilities.

Create initial inventory of finances and physical items own by estate and submit to probate court.
Analyze prehistoric and historic cultural artifacts, including data entry for cataloging.
Design costumes and usher for mainstage productions.
Perform archeological field excavations and laboratory analysis.

Exhibit technician example responsibilities.

Manage paperwork associate with HVAC procedures.
Diagnose, troubleshoot and repair systemic problems, commission new turbines, evaluate readiness for operations.
Perform archeological field excavations and laboratory analysis.

Conservator vs exhibit technician skills

Common conservator skills

Social Security, 17%
Condition Reports, 14%
Photographic Documentation, 12%
Condition Assessment, 12%
Conservation Lab, 11%
Conservation Treatments, 10%

Common exhibit technician skills

Exhibit Design, 21%
Prototyping, 17%
Exhibit Maintenance, 13%
Interactive Exhibits, 13%
Exhibit Components, 10%
Museum Exhibits, 9%

Conservator vs. similar jobs

Conservator related careers

Conservator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Education, Training, and Library Industry
Conservator
Conservator vs Exhibit Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs