Museum docent vs conservator

The differences between museum docents and conservators 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 docent and a conservator. Additionally, a conservator has an average salary of $46,396, which is higher than the $40,630 average annual salary of a museum docent.

The top three skills for a museum docent include natural history, museum gift shop and museum exhibits. The most important skills for a conservator are social security, condition reports, and photographic documentation.

Museum docent vs conservator overview

	Museum Docent	Conservator
Yearly salary	$40,630	$46,396
Hourly rate	$19.53	$22.31
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	77	79
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Museum docent vs conservator salary

Museum docents and conservators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Museum Docent	Conservator
Average salary	$40,630	$46,396
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $67,000	Between $25,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	-	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	The Mariners' Museum and Park
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between museum docent and conservator education

There are a few differences between a museum docent and a conservator in terms of educational background:

	Museum Docent	Conservator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	History	Fine Arts
Most common college	Harvard University	University of Maryland - College Park

Museum docent vs conservator demographics

Here are the differences between museum docents' and conservators' demographics:

	Museum Docent	Conservator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 37.1% Female, 62.9%	Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between museum docent and conservator duties and responsibilities

Museum docent example responsibilities.

Conduct tours of the anthropology and paleontology museums * Write/edit exhibit- and art show-relate materials
Create and present educational PowerPoint oral presentations.

Conservator example responsibilities.

Create initial inventory of finances and physical items own by estate and submit to probate court.
Analyze prehistoric and historic cultural artifacts, including data entry for cataloging.
Design costumes and usher for mainstage productions.
Perform archeological field excavations and laboratory analysis.

Museum docent vs conservator skills

Common museum docent skills

Natural History, 39%
Museum Gift Shop, 9%
Museum Exhibits, 8%
Front Desk, 7%
Public Speaking, 7%
Educational Programs, 6%

Common conservator skills

Social Security, 17%
Condition Reports, 14%
Photographic Documentation, 12%
Condition Assessment, 12%
Conservation Lab, 11%
Conservation Treatments, 10%

Zippia Careers
Education, Training, and Library Industry
Museum Docent
Museum Docent vs Conservator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs