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The differences between curators and assistant curators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a curator and an assistant curator. Additionally, a curator has an average salary of $47,923, which is higher than the $47,498 average annual salary of an assistant curator.
The top three skills for a curator include facebook, historical research and exhibit design. The most important skills for an assistant curator are art history, museum exhibits, and collections management.
| Curator | Assistant Curator | |
| Yearly salary | $47,923 | $47,498 |
| Hourly rate | $23.04 | $22.84 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 432 | 312 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
Assistant Curators primarily assist the chief curators in their tasks at museums. The curators maintain art collections, perform research, and educate the public about art in different settings. They help research, plan, and implement new exhibits for the museum. This job may ask them to oversee permanent galleries, provide support to the restoration work, and establish guides for educators. Also, they may serve as supervisors to the employees of museums and teach art students.
Curators and assistant curators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Curator | Assistant Curator | |
| Average salary | $47,923 | $47,498 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $85,000 | Between $26,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New Haven, CT |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Art Institute of Chicago |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a curator and an assistant curator in terms of educational background:
| Curator | Assistant Curator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Fine Arts | Fine Arts |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between curators' and assistant curators' demographics:
| Curator | Assistant Curator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.4% Female, 59.6% | Male, 40.1% Female, 59.9% |
| 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, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |