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Curator vs director

The differences between curators and directors 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 a director. Additionally, a director has an average salary of $113,489, 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 a director are healthcare, customer service, and oversight.

Curator vs director overview

CuratorDirector
Yearly salary$47,923$113,489
Hourly rate$23.04$54.56
Growth rate12%8%
Number of jobs432230,711
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age4440
Years of experience66

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 a director do?

Directors work in show business, whether in a film, a television show, or a theatre production. They are responsible for bringing the material to life. They work with the writers to get a clear vision of how the production should look. They lead the production team in planning for the production, identifying filming or rehearsing schedules, casting for roles, and other aspects that need to be decided upon. Directors provide direction to the actors to ensure that the actors understand their role and will be able to effectively convey emotions to the audience. They also manage all other crew members and communicate their expectations clearly so that everyone on the set is working towards one vision.

Curator vs director salary

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

CuratorDirector
Average salary$47,923$113,489
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $85,000Between $66,000 And $192,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CANew York, NY
Highest paying stateAlaskaNew York
Best paying companyAppleMayo Clinic
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between curator and director education

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

CuratorDirector
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorFine ArtsBusiness
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityStanford University

Curator vs director demographics

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

CuratorDirector
Average age4440
Gender ratioMale, 40.4% Female, 59.6%Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8%
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, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage13%14%

Differences between curator and director 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

Director example responsibilities.

  • Manage water metering programs for NYC and national portfolio.
  • Collaborate with the CPA to manage financials and reporting / distribution to physicians.
  • Manage OEM manufacturing partners for making bulk solutions, product fills and final packaging.
  • Lead company's first deep-fill structural project, bring company into EPA compliance, establish effective QA-QC program.
  • Develop company website entirely as well as wrote and manage the SEO and upkeep for overall site maintenance.
  • Manage the company's hotel portfolio operations and assets, including renovation, new build, conversions, and rebranding.
  • Show more

Curator vs director skills

Common curator skills
  • Facebook, 10%
  • Historical Research, 8%
  • Exhibit Design, 8%
  • Photography, 7%
  • Collections Management, 5%
  • Art History, 5%
Common director skills
  • Healthcare, 10%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Oversight, 7%
  • Project Management, 6%
  • Human Resources, 4%
  • Business Development, 4%

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