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The differences between curators and archivists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a curator, becoming an archivist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a curator has an average salary of $47,923, which is higher than the $47,145 average annual salary of an archivist.
The top three skills for a curator include facebook, historical research and exhibit design. The most important skills for an archivist are archival collections, online database, and archival materials.
| Curator | Archivist | |
| Yearly salary | $47,923 | $47,145 |
| Hourly rate | $23.04 | $22.67 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 432 | 449 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A curator is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing exhibits and collections in art museums and similar establishments. Their responsibilities include handling acquisition procedures, conceptualizing plans, designing exhibits and presentations, liaising with internal and external parties, setting goals and timelines, managing the budgets and fundraisers, and developing strategies to market the museum's events. Furthermore, as a curator, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while implementing the organization's policies and regulations.
An archivist is an information professional who assesses the value of information and then stores them in such a way that people can access the information and make sense of it. Archivists are required to have a great understanding of the historical context of the records, such as the relationship of a record to other records and why it was created in the first place. They must work closely with record managers and his/her torians to store and preserve perishable documents. Archivists must also organize public events such as talks and exhibitions.
Curators and archivists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Curator | Archivist | |
| Average salary | $47,923 | $47,145 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $85,000 | Between $23,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a curator and an archivist in terms of educational background:
| Curator | Archivist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Fine Arts | History |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between curators' and archivists' demographics:
| Curator | Archivist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.4% Female, 59.6% | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |