Annual Salary
£18,000 to £40,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Museum and art gallery curators manage collections of objects of artistic, scientific, historical and general interest.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: weekends; on a rota
There will be
2.4% more Museum curator jobs in 2027.
In your day-to-day duties you may:
You could work in a museum or at an art gallery.
Your working environment may be physically active.
You can get into this job through:
You'll often need a degree in a relevant subject like:
You might also find it useful to have a postgraduate qualification in museum and gallery studies, or in a particular style or period of art or history.
Paid or unpaid work experience in a museum, gallery or heritage property is usually essential to apply for courses and jobs.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to start by doing an advanced apprenticeship in heritage and cultural operations.
This could lead into museum or gallery assistant or educator jobs. With further training and several years' experience, you could apply for curator roles.
You'll usually need:
Most people begin their career as an assistant curator, conservator or education manager before becoming a museum or gallery curator.
You can join the Museums Association for professional development and to make industry contacts.
You can find out more about becoming a museum or gallery curator from the Museums Association.
You could work in small independent museums and galleries to large public sector and national institutions like the Tate or British Museum.
There are lots of different opportunities to move on in the sector from business management to public engagement and education roles. You will need to plan your continuous professional development and take advantage of the training available in the sector to advance your career.
The Museums Association and Creative Choices have more information about this job.
You'll need: