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Exhibit preparator vs museum assistant

The differences between exhibit preparators and museum assistants 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 museum assistant. Additionally, an exhibit preparator has an average salary of $59,236, which is higher than the $40,072 average annual salary of a museum assistant.

The top three skills for an exhibit preparator include museum exhibits, exhibition design and art objects. The most important skills for a museum assistant are museum exhibits, front desk, and museum visitors.

Exhibit preparator vs museum assistant overview

Exhibit PreparatorMuseum Assistant
Yearly salary$59,236$40,072
Hourly rate$28.48$19.27
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs78522
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Exhibit preparator vs museum assistant salary

Exhibit preparators and museum assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Exhibit PreparatorMuseum Assistant
Average salary$59,236$40,072
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $132,000Between $23,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between exhibit preparator and museum assistant education

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

Exhibit PreparatorMuseum Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorFine ArtsFine Arts
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Exhibit preparator vs museum assistant demographics

Here are the differences between exhibit preparators' and museum assistants' demographics:

Exhibit PreparatorMuseum Assistant
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 52.4% Female, 47.6%Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5%
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, 5.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 5.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between exhibit preparator and museum assistant 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.

Museum assistant example responsibilities.

  • Aid development and implementation of NPS cataloging standards.
  • Participate in re-cataloging projects involving artifact research, condition assessment, and storage planning.
  • Assist in training fellow employees in NPS museum cataloging methodology.
  • Conduct back-room tours in the department of anthropology for invite visitors.
  • Maintain archival museum and fossil preparation records and treatment folders, transferring information to NPS archives catalog system.
  • Research and document descriptions about each artifact.
  • Show more

Exhibit preparator vs museum assistant skills

Common exhibit preparator skills
  • Museum Exhibits, 47%
  • Exhibition Design, 30%
  • Art Objects, 14%
  • Natural History, 9%
Common museum assistant skills
  • Museum Exhibits, 17%
  • Front Desk, 8%
  • Museum Visitors, 8%
  • Museum Events, 6%
  • Educational Programs, 6%
  • Press Releases, 4%

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