Museum educator vs conservator

The differences between museum educators 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 educator and a conservator. Additionally, a conservator has an average salary of $46,396, which is higher than the $40,399 average annual salary of a museum educator.

The top three skills for a museum educator include educational programs, art history and K-12. The most important skills for a conservator are social security, condition reports, and photographic documentation.

Museum educator vs conservator overview

	Museum Educator	Conservator
Yearly salary	$40,399	$46,396
Hourly rate	$19.42	$22.31
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	18,481	79
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Museum educator vs conservator salary

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

	Museum Educator	Conservator
Average salary	$40,399	$46,396
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $61,000	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 educator and conservator education

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

	Museum Educator	Conservator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Fine Arts	Fine Arts
Most common college	Harvard University	University of Maryland - College Park

Museum educator vs conservator demographics

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

	Museum Educator	Conservator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4%	Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9%
Race ratio	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%	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 educator and conservator duties and responsibilities

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.

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 educator vs conservator skills

Common museum educator skills

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

Common conservator skills

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

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Museum Educator
Museum Educator vs Conservator

Updated January 8, 2025

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