How to hire a museum attendant

How to hire a museum attendant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step museum attendant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a museum attendant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new museum attendant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The museum attendant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a museum attendant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a museum attendant that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of museum attendant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Museum Attendant	Description	Hourly rate
   Museum Attendant		$10-15
   Tour Guide	As their title describes, tour guides offer guided tours to individuals or groups of visitors. Tour guides undertake research and plan tours, provide sightseeing advice, and organize excursions... Show more	$8-26
   Escort	Escort is a service provided to accompany an individual, group of people, or vehicle to provide guidance and protection or mark of honor. Military Escort services accompany deceased military personnel to show respect-a healthcare escort sometimes accompanies patients to their destination for ongoing care safely... Show more	$10-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patrol
   • Museum Visitors
   • Customer Service
   • Museum Events
   • Museum Guests
   • Museum Store
   • Museum Gift Shop
   • POS
   • Front Desk
   • Greeting Visitors
   • Museum Rules
   • Museum Policies
   • Promotional Materials

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the sculpture and ceramic studios, keeping the areas clean, safe, and organize.
   • Operate POS cash register to manage cash, credit, and debit card transactions for sell items.
   • Help children explore moreindepth concepts about the documentaries they see at the IMAX theatre.
   • Aid groups to the IMAX theatre and help them get seated.Set up and clean up Zanzibar rooms for lunch.
   • Keep records on individual pet, including daily observations and information activities perform, meals sever, and medication administer.
   • Create and sewn costumes for employees.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your museum attendant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A museum attendant salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, museum attendants' average salary in alabama is 32% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level museum attendants earn 34% less than senior-level museum attendants.
   • Certifications. A museum attendant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a museum attendant's salary.

   Average museum attendant salary

   $12.75hourly

   $26,519 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level museum attendant salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated February 2, 2026

4. Writing a museum attendant job description

   A museum attendant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a museum attendant job description:

   Museum attendant job description example

   The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) will host an Open House event for Security & Safety Museum Attendant Guard positions:
   Tuesday, October 25th from 10:00am - 1:00pm
   
   The Open House is an exciting opportunity for participants to learn firsthand about the AMNH, Security team and Museum Attendant Guard position through group interviews, tours and meetings with current staff and management.
   
   The AMNH in New York City is one of the premier Science, research, and cultural institutions in the country. The AMNH is renowned for its exhibitions and scientific collections, which serve as a field guide to the entire planet and present a panorama of the world's cultures. The AMNH seeks Museum Attendant Guards to join their Security and Safety team.
   
   Security Guard duties may include the following:
   
   * Protection of exhibits and Museum property, patrolling and guarding hall or halls, maintaining proper temperatures during the heating season as trained.
   * Provide the highest level of customer service during interactions with all visitors. Advise public of location of other exhibit halls, restrooms, etc. Answer questions where possible and referring others when appropriate.
   * Provide security team support in the auditorium or other meeting areas for various types of programs.
   * Report existence of suspicious persons and monitor until relieved.
   * Monitor visitor behavior and encourage compliance with safety measures and guidance among visitors of all ages, either in organized groups or as individuals.
   * Report any damage to exhibits, unsafe conditions, loose floor tiles, torn window shades, etc., also any unusual occurrences such as minor accidents, and other cases requiring additional help or authority.
   * Escalate any report of lost children or other persons in need and assist in relevant search efforts as directed.
   * Respond to exhibit case or fire alarms and report conditions as appropriate.
   * Perform fire watch duties as directed and assist in emergency evacuation of visitors and staff when required.
   * When assigned to night shifts, perform safety and hazard patrols throughout public and all non-public areas.
   
   It is possible, although rare, that Security Museum Attendant Guards may be assigned to complete the job duties of Museum Attendant Guards in Custodial Services.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right museum attendant for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your museum attendant job on Zippia to find and recruit museum attendant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with museum attendant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new museum attendant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the museum attendant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new museum attendant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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