Custodian vs conservator

The differences between custodians and conservators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a conservator has an average salary of $46,396, which is higher than the $30,176 average annual salary of a custodian.

The top three skills for a custodian include cleanliness, work ethic and customer service. The most important skills for a conservator are social security, condition reports, and photographic documentation.

Custodian vs conservator overview

	Custodian	Conservator
Yearly salary	$30,176	$46,396
Hourly rate	$14.51	$22.31
Growth rate	4%	12%
Number of jobs	47,364	79
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	49	44
Years of experience	-	4

Custodian vs conservator salary

Custodians and conservators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Custodian	Conservator
Average salary	$30,176	$46,396
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $39,000	Between $25,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Connecticut
Best paying company	Los Alamos National Laboratory	The Mariners' Museum and Park
Best paying industry	Education	Non Profits

Differences between custodian and conservator education

There are a few differences between a custodian and a conservator in terms of educational background:

	Custodian	Conservator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Fine Arts
Most common college	-	University of Maryland - College Park

Custodian vs conservator demographics

Here are the differences between custodians' and conservators' demographics:

	Custodian	Conservator
Average age	49	44
Gender ratio	Male, 64.4% Female, 35.6%	Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 24.1% Asian, 5.0% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	5%	13%

Differences between custodian and conservator duties and responsibilities

Custodian example responsibilities.

Operate janitorial equipment including: vacuum cleaners, floor scrubbers, carpet cleaners, presser washers, leaf blowers, etc.
Fill in for custodians when they need off, clean schools, mow grass, salt lots.
Rake leaves, cut and water grass.
Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors, with sponges, or squeegees.
Strip and wax floors, clean windows, replace burnt-out light bulbs and ballasts.
Clean and perform preventative maintenance on all mechanical equipment (HVAC & ventilation systems).

Conservator example responsibilities.

Create initial inventory of finances and physical items own by estate and submit to probate court.
Analyze prehistoric and historic cultural artifacts, including data entry for cataloging.
Design costumes and usher for mainstage productions.
Perform archeological field excavations and laboratory analysis.

Custodian vs conservator skills

Common custodian skills

Cleanliness, 13%
Work Ethic, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
Building Floors, 6%
Minor Maintenance, 5%
Ladders, 3%

Common conservator skills

Social Security, 17%
Condition Reports, 14%
Photographic Documentation, 12%
Condition Assessment, 12%
Conservation Lab, 11%
Conservation Treatments, 10%

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Custodian vs Conservator

Updated January 8, 2025

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