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Exhibits curator vs museum director

The differences between exhibits curators and museum directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an exhibits curator and a museum director. Additionally, a museum director has an average salary of $73,554, which is higher than the $48,658 average annual salary of an exhibits curator.

The top three skills for an exhibits curator include curate, press releases and exhibit design. The most important skills for a museum director are museum operations, museum exhibits, and community outreach.

Exhibits curator vs museum director overview

Exhibits CuratorMuseum Director
Yearly salary$48,658$73,554
Hourly rate$23.39$35.36
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs2687,882
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4444
Years of experience66

Exhibits curator vs museum director salary

Exhibits curators and museum directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Exhibits CuratorMuseum Director
Average salary$48,658$73,554
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $94,000Between $40,000 And $134,000
Highest paying CityVirginia Beach, VASan Jose, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaCalifornia
Best paying companyThe University of ChicagoUniversity of Southern California
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between exhibits curator and museum director education

There are a few differences between an exhibits curator and a museum director in terms of educational background:

Exhibits CuratorMuseum Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorFine ArtsHistory
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Exhibits curator vs museum director demographics

Here are the differences between exhibits curators' and museum directors' demographics:

Exhibits CuratorMuseum Director
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 34.4% Female, 65.6%Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 5.0% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between exhibits curator and museum director duties and responsibilities

Exhibits curator example responsibilities.

  • Manage visual resource center, including acquisition, cataloging, budget management and other relevant issues.
  • Compile a catalogue of artist biographies for guests to reference.
  • Assist in preparing zoo for AZA re-accreditation: create and clean exhibits as well as grounds keeping and diet preparation.
  • Design and implement comprehensive training programs focusing on artifact preservation and cleaning base on complete training course taken at Smithsonian.
  • Fashion and coordinate historical costumes for first person interpretation

Museum director example responsibilities.

  • Manage FoxPro database of historical and archaeological collections locate at state parks throughout Florida.
  • Lead the facility in implementing person-centered care/hospitality philosophy, electronic medical records, maximization of Medicare reimbursement, and alternative therapies.
  • Lead the facility in implementing person-centered care/hospitality philosophy, electronic medical records, maximization of Medicare reimbursement, and alternative therapies.
  • Assist in launching an initiative to lobby the Kansas legislators and other elect officials to increase Medicaid reimbursement for assist living.

Exhibits curator vs museum director skills

Common exhibits curator skills
  • Curate, 26%
  • Press Releases, 15%
  • Exhibit Design, 14%
  • Condition Reports, 10%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 9%
  • Graphic Design, 8%
Common museum director skills
  • Museum Operations, 22%
  • Museum Exhibits, 18%
  • Community Outreach, 11%
  • Local Community, 11%
  • Collections Management, 10%
  • Museum Store, 8%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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