Exhibit preparator vs art conservator

The differences between exhibit preparators and art conservators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an exhibit preparator and an art conservator. Additionally, an art conservator has an average salary of $60,547, which is higher than the $59,236 average annual salary of an exhibit preparator.

The top three skills for an exhibit preparator include museum exhibits, exhibition design and art objects. The most important skills for an art conservator are conservation practices, , and .

Exhibit preparator vs art conservator overview

	Exhibit Preparator	Art Conservator
Yearly salary	$59,236	$60,547
Hourly rate	$28.48	$29.11
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	78	2,737
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 78%	Bachelor's Degree, 85%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Exhibit preparator vs art conservator salary

Exhibit preparators and art conservators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Exhibit Preparator	Art Conservator
Average salary	$59,236	$60,547
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $132,000	Between $29,000 And $125,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between exhibit preparator and art conservator education

There are a few differences between an exhibit preparator and an art conservator in terms of educational background:

	Exhibit Preparator	Art Conservator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 78%	Bachelor's Degree, 85%
Most common major	Fine Arts	Fine Arts
Most common college	Harvard University	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Exhibit preparator vs art conservator demographics

Here are the differences between exhibit preparators' and art conservators' demographics:

	Exhibit Preparator	Art Conservator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6%	Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 5.2% Asian, 3.5% White, 81.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 5.2% Asian, 3.5% White, 81.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between exhibit preparator and art conservator duties and responsibilities

Exhibit preparator example responsibilities.

Conduct tours of the anthropology and paleontology museums * Write/edit exhibit- and art show-relate materials
Control exhibits that require oversight in the financial department.

Art conservator example responsibilities.

Manage graphic arts department and camera and typesetting departments.
Work on set design and advance photo editing including color swapping and color correcting for commercial photography studio.
Generate quotes for custom screen print and embroidery projects that require art time and or outside service bureau charges.

Exhibit preparator vs art conservator skills

Common exhibit preparator skills

Museum Exhibits, 47%
Exhibition Design, 30%
Art Objects, 14%
Natural History, 9%

Common art conservator skills

Conservation Practices, 100%

Exhibit Preparator vs. similar jobs

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Exhibit Preparator
Exhibit Preparator vs Art Conservator

Updated January 8, 2025

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