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Exhibit preparator vs curatorial specialist

The differences between exhibit preparators and curatorial specialists 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 a curatorial specialist. Additionally, an exhibit preparator has an average salary of $59,236, which is higher than the $43,840 average annual salary of a curatorial specialist.

The top three skills for an exhibit preparator include museum exhibits, exhibition design and art objects. The most important skills for a curatorial specialist are cataloging, , and .

Exhibit preparator vs curatorial specialist overview

Exhibit PreparatorCuratorial Specialist
Yearly salary$59,236$43,840
Hourly rate$28.48$21.08
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs7823,992
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Exhibit preparator vs curatorial specialist salary

Exhibit preparators and curatorial specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Exhibit PreparatorCuratorial Specialist
Average salary$59,236$43,840
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $132,000Between $28,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between exhibit preparator and curatorial specialist education

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

Exhibit PreparatorCuratorial Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorFine ArtsAnthropology
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityUniversity of Maryland - College Park

Exhibit preparator vs curatorial specialist demographics

Here are the differences between exhibit preparators' and curatorial specialists' demographics:

Exhibit PreparatorCuratorial Specialist
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 52.4% Female, 47.6%Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage13%13%

Differences between exhibit preparator and curatorial specialist 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.

Curatorial specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage user securities, roles, database backups, restore, fail-over management for SQL cluster.
  • Assist in cataloging incoming items for the collection.
  • Supervise student employees responsible for processing and cataloging collections.
  • Conduct research using online federal regulations, review Medicare and Medicaid policy and guidelines to complete an accurate and well-support decision.
  • Facilitate multi-year project digitizing and cataloguing decoration in manuscripts (approx.

Exhibit preparator vs curatorial specialist skills

Common exhibit preparator skills
  • Museum Exhibits, 47%
  • Exhibition Design, 30%
  • Art Objects, 14%
  • Natural History, 9%
Common curatorial specialist skills
  • Cataloging, 100%

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