Exhibit preparator vs museum educator

The differences between exhibit preparators and museum educators 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 educator. Additionally, an exhibit preparator has an average salary of $59,236, which is higher than the $40,399 average annual salary of a museum educator.

The top three skills for an exhibit preparator include museum exhibits, exhibition design and art objects. The most important skills for a museum educator are educational programs, art history, and K-12.

Exhibit preparator vs museum educator overview

	Exhibit Preparator	Museum Educator
Yearly salary	$59,236	$40,399
Hourly rate	$28.48	$19.42
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	78	18,481
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 78%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Exhibit preparator vs museum educator salary

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

	Exhibit Preparator	Museum Educator
Average salary	$59,236	$40,399
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $132,000	Between $26,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between exhibit preparator and museum educator education

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

	Exhibit Preparator	Museum Educator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 78%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Fine Arts	Fine Arts
Most common college	Harvard University	Harvard University

Exhibit preparator vs museum educator demographics

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

	Exhibit Preparator	Museum Educator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6%	Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4%
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, 5.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 76.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between exhibit preparator and museum educator 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 educator example responsibilities.

Manage revolving caseload of students with IEP team including initials, transfer placements, manifestation determinations.
Train and supervise employees and volunteers in collections protocols, cataloging, preparation, housekeeping, lab and field work.
Analyze prehistoric and historic cultural artifacts, including data entry for cataloging.
Develop digital materials, documents, PowerPoint presentations, lectures, and laboratory activities daily.
Design PowerPoint presentations enhancing educational environment.
Design PowerPoint presentations enhancing educational environment.

Exhibit preparator vs museum educator skills

Common exhibit preparator skills

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

Common museum educator skills

Educational Programs, 15%
Art History, 11%
K-12, 9%
Public Programs, 8%
Outreach Program, 6%
Public Speaking, 6%

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Exhibit Preparator vs Museum Educator

Updated January 8, 2025

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