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Exhibit preparator vs exhibit technician

The differences between exhibit preparators and exhibit technicians 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 exhibit technician. Additionally, an exhibit preparator has an average salary of $59,236, which is higher than the $34,387 average annual salary of an exhibit technician.

The top three skills for an exhibit preparator include museum exhibits, exhibition design and art objects. The most important skills for an exhibit technician are exhibit design, prototyping, and exhibit maintenance.

Exhibit preparator vs exhibit technician overview

Exhibit PreparatorExhibit Technician
Yearly salary$59,236$34,387
Hourly rate$28.48$16.53
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs785,760
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Exhibit preparator vs exhibit technician salary

Exhibit preparators and exhibit technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Exhibit PreparatorExhibit Technician
Average salary$59,236$34,387
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $132,000Between $18,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between exhibit preparator and exhibit technician education

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

Exhibit PreparatorExhibit Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorFine ArtsFine Arts
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Exhibit preparator vs exhibit technician demographics

Here are the differences between exhibit preparators' and exhibit technicians' demographics:

Exhibit PreparatorExhibit Technician
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 52.4% Female, 47.6%Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9%
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, 5.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between exhibit preparator and exhibit technician 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.

Exhibit technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage paperwork associate with HVAC procedures.
  • Diagnose, troubleshoot and repair systemic problems, commission new turbines, evaluate readiness for operations.
  • Perform archeological field excavations and laboratory analysis.

Exhibit preparator vs exhibit technician skills

Common exhibit preparator skills
  • Museum Exhibits, 47%
  • Exhibition Design, 30%
  • Art Objects, 14%
  • Natural History, 9%
Common exhibit technician skills
  • Exhibit Design, 21%
  • Prototyping, 17%
  • Exhibit Maintenance, 13%
  • Interactive Exhibits, 13%
  • Exhibit Components, 10%
  • Museum Exhibits, 9%

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