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Curator vs artist

The differences between curators and artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an artist has an average salary of $68,690, which is higher than the $47,923 average annual salary of a curator.

The top three skills for a curator include facebook, historical research and exhibit design. The most important skills for an artist are maya, adobe photoshop, and customer service.

Curator vs artist overview

CuratorArtist
Yearly salary$47,923$68,690
Hourly rate$23.04$33.02
Growth rate12%6%
Number of jobs4323,870
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4440
Years of experience6-

What does a curator do?

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.

What does an artist do?

An Artist specializes in creating various artworks or prose; the audience can vary from individuals or the general public. An artist's responsibility depends on the industry, company, or position where they are assigned. However, most of the time, Artists are expected to work under specific guidelines, deliver materials in a required format within an allotted time and perform revisions according to what is preferred by an editor or client. Furthermore, independent artists may work freelance and receive commissions for their craft.

Curator vs artist salary

Curators and artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

CuratorArtist
Average salary$47,923$68,690
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $85,000Between $42,000 And $110,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Rafael, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaCalifornia
Best paying companyAppleMeta
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between curator and artist education

There are a few differences between a curator and an artist in terms of educational background:

CuratorArtist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorFine ArtsFine Arts
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Curator vs artist demographics

Here are the differences between curators' and artists' demographics:

CuratorArtist
Average age4440
Gender ratioMale, 40.4% Female, 59.6%Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage13%11%

Differences between curator and artist duties and responsibilities

Curator example responsibilities.

  • Manage visual resource center, including acquisition, cataloging, budget management and other relevant issues.
  • Aid instructors in sorting through student works to curate gallery.
  • Produce written materials including wall labels and artists' biographies.
  • Participate in SEO research and compile a summary for the rest of the team.
  • Create and upload content daily, using a web-base administration tool, and HTML.
  • Assist with inquiries regarding scanning Photoshop, PowerPoint and other vr-relate software and equipment.
  • Show more

Artist example responsibilities.

  • Manage studio workload and advise print direction to in-house and freelance cad artists.
  • Manage online product catalog using Dreamweaver.
  • Assist customers with product selection and process POS transactions.
  • Provide comparative analysis on traditional vs. Mac vs. PC production.
  • Animate in-game characters, user interface assets and particle effects.
  • Own & operate a specialize faux painting, mural and art business.
  • Show more

Curator vs artist skills

Common curator skills
  • Facebook, 10%
  • Historical Research, 8%
  • Exhibit Design, 8%
  • Photography, 7%
  • Collections Management, 5%
  • Art History, 5%
Common artist skills
  • Maya, 13%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 8%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Graphic Design, 7%
  • Photography, 7%
  • VFX, 6%

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