How to hire a curatorial assistant

How to hire a curatorial assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step curatorial assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a curatorial assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new curatorial assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The curatorial assistant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A curatorial assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, curatorial assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of curatorial assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Curatorial Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Curatorial Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$18-29

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Collection Database
   • Art History
   • Photography
   • Collections Management
   • Press Releases
   • Museum Collection
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Condition Reports
   • Travel Arrangements
   • Museum Objects
   • Art Exhibitions
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Exhibit Design
   • Permanent Collection

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage Linux staging and testing environments.
   • Participate in and demonstrate leadership skills to the youth in the weekly huddles.
   • Schedule, organize, and supervise photography sessions.
   • Disseminate news alerts and other pertinent information throughout organizational leadership and congregation.
   • Perform inventory, descriptive cataloging, and photography of archaeological and ethnographic object collections and preparation for display in digital environment.
   • Provide cloud base customer relationship management with Salesforce for optimization in coordination of the workforce development program and other community orient events

   More curatorial assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your curatorial assistant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A curatorial assistant salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, curatorial assistants' average salary in oklahoma is 36% less than in colorado.
   • Seniority. Entry-level curatorial assistants earn 39% less than senior-level curatorial assistants.
   • Certifications. A curatorial assistant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a curatorial assistant's salary.

   Average curatorial assistant salary

   $48,577yearly

   $23.35 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level curatorial assistant salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average curatorial assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$59,401	$29
   2	New York	$56,689	$27
   3	California	$54,849	$26
   4	Texas	$52,843	$25
   5	Illinois	$52,378	$25
   6	Delaware	$50,423	$24
   7	South Carolina	$49,508	$24

   Average curatorial assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bridgewater State University	$55,713	$26.79	5
   2	The University of Chicago	$53,165	$25.56	10
   3	The Museum of Modern Art	$53,143	$25.55
   4	International Center of Photography	$48,225	$23.19
   5	The City University of New York	$48,059	$23.11	35
   6	MUSEUM.COM	$47,711	$22.94
   7	Santa Barbara Museum of Art	$47,187	$22.69
   8	Historic Charleston Foundation	$40,195	$19.32
   9	Delaware State University	$39,133	$18.81
   10	Bowdoin College	$35,188	$16.92	2

4. Writing a curatorial assistant job description

   A curatorial assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a curatorial assistant job description:

   Curatorial assistant job description example

   Basic Qualifications
   
   Two years experience in a museum, anthropological, archaeological, and/or indigenous heritage program or research center.
   
   Additional Information
   
   About the Peabody Museum
   
   The Peabody Museum is situated on the ancestral and traditional land of the Massachusett people. It cares for over 1.2 million items from across the world, including cultural, archaeological, and osteological collections as well as extensive photographic and archival materials. The Museum is committed to the ethical stewardship of its collections through implementation of collaborative and culturally responsive care, interpretation, and engagement. We strive for a diverse, inclusive and equitable working environment and to act in ways that address the global challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability.
   
   All final offers will be made by FAS HR.
   
   Position Description
   
   Job-Specific Responsibilities
   
   * Works with sensitive collections and content which requires attentiveness to university and cultural protocols and discretion/interpersonal skills.
   * Supports consultation, inventory research, and Federal Register notice production for designated geographic regions.
   * Supports use of the collection for NAGPRA implementation and responds to inquiries about the collection in writing, by telephone, video meeting, or during visits according to established procedures.
   * Compiles and updates data on NAGPRA implementation, including documenting consultations and correspondence records and outcomes.
   * Assists with aboriginal land research in government documents required under 10.11 (e.g. the final judgment of the Indian Claims Commission or the United States Court of Claims, or by a treaty, Act of Congress, or Executive Order e.g. compiles references for review, begins initial evaluation of suitability
   * Performs other duties as required.
   
   Job Summary
   
   The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University seeks an individual for the position of Curatorial Assistant to support the Peabody's implementation of NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act). This individual's responsibilities help to further the Peabody's institutional goals of ethical stewardship, including fostering relationship building, collaborative dialogue, and diverse perspectives. This position reports to the Director of NAGPRA. This is a three-year term position.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find curatorial assistants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any curatorial assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level curatorial assistants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your curatorial assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit curatorial assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit curatorial assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new curatorial assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the curatorial assistant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new curatorial assistant. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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