Headline risk
1%
Very Low RiskCurators
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. May conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 38% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 61,770
Employment 2024
15.1K
Projected Change (2024–34)
7.0%
Openings (2024–34)
1.8K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of archivists, curators, and museum workers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials, including the selection of exhibition themes and designs, and develop or install exhibit materials. AI use: 82%
- 2. Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public. AI use: 92%
- 3. Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise. AI use: 90%
- 4. Design, organize, or conduct tours, workshops, and instructional or educational sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and materials. AI use: 0%
- 5. Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections. AI use: 0%
- 6. Attend meetings, conventions, and civic events to promote use of institution's services, to seek financing, and to maintain community alliances. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 41.9 · 78K employed
Under 25: 12% · 25–54: 62% · 55+: 27%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
crosswalk_exact · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Archivists and curators oversee institutions’ collections, such as of historical items or of artwork. Museum technicians and conservators prepare and restore items in those collections.
Archivists, curators, museum technicians, and conservators work in museums, historical sites, governments, colleges and universities, corporations, and other institutions. Most work full time.
Archivists, curators, and conservators typically need a master’s degree in a field related to their position. Museum technicians typically need a bachelor’s degree. Experience gained through an internship or by volunteering in archives or museums is helpful.
The median annual wage for archivists, curators, and museum workers was $57,100 in May 2024.
Overall employment of archivists, curators, and museum workers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.