Museum Directors and Curators

Employment for museum curators is expected to increase by 10 percent, faster than the average for all careers, through 2028, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. The best opportunities are in art and history museums. Despite this prediction, there are few openings for directors and curators and competition for them is high. New graduates may have to start as interns, volunteers, assistants, or research associates before finding full-time curator or director positions. Turnover is very low in museum work, so museum workers may have to stay in a lower-level position for some years before advancing to a director or curator position.