Museum Technicians and Conservators
Restore, maintain, or prepare objects in museum collections for storage, research, or exhibit. May work with specimens such as fossils, skeletal parts, or botanicals; or artifacts, textiles, or art. May identify and record objects or install and arrange them in exhibits. Includes book or document conservators.
Also called: Art Conservator, Art Preparator, Artifacts Conservator, Conservation Technician (Conservation Tech), Conservation Worker, Conservator
Median pay
$51,440
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$33,780 – $87,530
People employed
12,310
Holland code
RCI
Realistic · Conventional · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you happy working mostly on your own, with little contact with others?
- 2.Do you want to stay at 40 hours a week or less?
- 3.Would you rather not deal with customers or the public?
- 4.Do you prefer a steady pace without constant deadlines?
The hard parts
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
Museum Technicians and Conservators pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (44 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What museum technicians and conservators do
- 01Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair.
- 02Specialize in particular materials or types of object, such as documents and books, paintings, decorative arts, textiles, metals, or architectural materials.
- 03Recommend preservation procedures, such as control of temperature and humidity, to curatorial and building staff.
- 04Install, arrange, assemble, and prepare artifacts for exhibition, ensuring the artifacts' safety, reporting their status and condition, and identifying and correcting any problems with the set up.
- 05Study object documentation or conduct standard chemical and physical tests to ascertain the object's age, composition, original appearance, need for treatment or restoration, and appropriate preservation method.
- 06Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.
Skills that matter most
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Knowledge
- Chemistry
- Fine Arts
- History and Archeology
- English Language
- Education and Training
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Cautiousness
Education and first steps
O*NET has no education survey data for this job.
How people get started
- Usually needs a graduate degree (O*NET Job Zone 5).
- Related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
- On-the-job training: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from museum technicians and conservators
- Historians67% · +49%
- Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians62% · +4%
- Set and Exhibit Designers58% · +46%
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists58% · group pay
- Geneticists57% · group pay
Majors that lead here
- Museology/Museum Studies
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation
- Public/Applied History
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.