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Career Exploration

Museum Technicians and Conservators

Also called: Conservator, Objects Conservator, Paintings Conservator, Preparator

What they do:

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.

On the job, you would:
  • Install, 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.
  • Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration.
  • Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.
On the job, you'll need:

Arts and Humanities

  • music, dance, visual arts, drama, or sculpture
  • English language

Safety and Government

  • public safety and security

Business

  • management

Math and Science

  • chemistry

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • order or arrange things
  • create new and original ideas

Hand and Finger Use

  • keep your arm or hand steady
  • put together small parts with your fingers

Realistic

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Cooperation
  • Integrity
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Initiative

Graphics or photo imaging software

  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Photoshop

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Data base user interface and query software

  • Gallery Systems EmbARK
  • Questor Systems QScan32

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Bright.

New job opportunities are very likely in the future. This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Median Annual Salary: $47,270

Education

Master's degree or bachelor's degree is usually needed.