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Museum assistant vs art preparator

The differences between museum assistants and art preparators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a museum assistant and an art preparator. Additionally, an art preparator has an average salary of $59,856, which is higher than the $40,072 average annual salary of a museum assistant.

The top three skills for a museum assistant include museum exhibits, front desk and museum visitors. The most important skills for an art preparator are art exhibitions, art installation, and art preparation.

Museum assistant vs art preparator overview

Museum AssistantArt Preparator
Yearly salary$40,072$59,856
Hourly rate$19.27$28.78
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs5222,769
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Museum assistant vs art preparator salary

Museum assistants and art preparators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Museum AssistantArt Preparator
Average salary$40,072$59,856
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $67,000Between $29,000 And $120,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between museum assistant and art preparator education

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

Museum AssistantArt Preparator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorFine ArtsFine Arts
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Museum assistant vs art preparator demographics

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

Museum AssistantArt Preparator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 34.5% Female, 65.5%Male, 78.3% Female, 21.7%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 3.5% White, 77.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between museum assistant and art preparator duties and responsibilities

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

Art preparator example responsibilities.

  • Manage graphic arts department and camera and typesetting departments.
  • Work on set design and advance photo editing including color swapping and color correcting for commercial photography studio.
  • Generate quotes for custom screen print and embroidery projects that require art time and or outside service bureau charges.

Museum assistant vs art preparator skills

Common museum assistant skills
  • Museum Exhibits, 17%
  • Front Desk, 8%
  • Museum Visitors, 8%
  • Museum Events, 6%
  • Educational Programs, 6%
  • Press Releases, 4%
Common art preparator skills
  • Art Exhibitions, 34%
  • Art Installation, 21%
  • Art Preparation, 21%
  • Museum Standards, 15%
  • Condition Reports, 9%

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