Salary Range
$25,000 to $100,000+
Conservators analyze and assess the condition of artifacts and pieces of art, plan for the care of art collections, and carry out conservation treatments and programs. Conservators may be in private practice or work for museums, historical societies, or state institutions. When conserving artifacts or artwork, these professionals must select methods and materials that preserve and retain the original integrity of each piece. Conservators must be knowledgeable about the objects in their care, which may be natural objects, such as bones and fossils, or human-made objects, such as paintings, sculpture, paper, and metal.
Conservation technicians work under the supervision of conservators and complete maintenance work on the collection.
There are approximately 14,400 conservators and museum technicians employed in the United States.
Minimum Education Level
Bachelor's DegreeCertification/License
RecommendedOutlook
Much Faster than the AverageHands On
Problem-Solving
Technical

Conservator

Conservation Technician

Apprentice or Intern
- Anthropologists
- Apparel Industry Workers
- Archaeologists
- Archivists
- Artists
- Book Conservators
- Computer-Aided Design Drafters and Technicians
- Demographers
- Economists
- Education Directors and Museum Teachers
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Ethical Sourcing Officer
- Ethnoscientists
- Exhibit Designers
- Fabric Designers
- Fashion Designers
- Futurists
- Gallery Owners and Directors
- Genealogical Researchers
- Genealogists
- Geographers
- Grant Coordinators and Writers
- Historians
- Historic Preservationists
- Laboratory Testing Technicians
- Leather Tanning and Finishing Workers
- Lexicographers
- Linguists
- Manufacturing Supervisors
- Marketing Managers
- Medical Ethicists
- Museum Attendants
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Museum Technicians
- National Park Service Employees
- Political Scientists
- Product Development Directors
- Product Management Directors
- Product Managers
- Quality Control Engineers
- Quality Control Technicians
- Sales Managers
- Sociologists
- Statisticians
- Taxidermists
- Textile Manufacturing Workers
- Tour Guides
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors
- Zookeepers
- Zoologists