Art History Careers: Museum Curators and Art Dealers

Which Types of Jobs Are Available in Art History?

If you choose to major in art history, then you may get asked fairly often what you expect to do with your degree. You may already know many liberal arts degrees lead naturally into teaching positions, but an art historian also has several other job options. For instance, you could become a museum curator. This job involves acquiring and exhibiting works of fine art. You may also need to authenticate and categorize art pieces, supervise the museum's research projects and educational programs, and handle promotion. At small museums, the curator may take care of fundraising, handle promotion decisions, and attend necessary meetings as well.

At large museums, you may find several different curators overseeing different departments, such as one curator to handle modern art and another to manage Renaissance sculpture. Curators at large museums may also get to travel a great deal to evaluate art for acquisition, do research, or arrange exhibitions.

Outside of museum employment, you could open your own art gallery or become an art dealer at an established art gallery or auction house. With some extra training, you could become an art appraiser. An art historian could also become a conservator of fine art pieces.

Formal Training Required to Work in Art History

To become a museum curator, you generally need a master's degree. Some candidates even get two graduate degrees, such as one in art history and one in museum studies, to improve their chances in this competitive industry. Becoming a curator at a small museum may require extra knowledge in business administration, public relations, and fundraising, since curators at small museums tend to have a much broader range of responsibilities.

A conservator often needs significant experience, especially since so few graduate level programs exist in conservation techniques. Along with your background in the history of art, you should study chemistry and possibly archeology or studio art. Try to get an internship while earning your bachelor's degree if at all possible.

The Typical Career Path of Someone Working in Art History

If you want to become a museum curator, you could start in a small department at a large museum and then work your way up the ladder to museum director. Or you could begin at a small museum and then transfer to a larger, more prestigious institution. You typically need to publish your own research to advance to the best museums, like the Smithsonian Institution.

If you can't get a job as a curator right away, then consider starting as a museum technician (also called registrars). In this job, you assist the curator by preparing items, conducting maintenance, or answering public inquiries. Other people start as an intern or volunteer as an assistant curator or research associate, working for little or no money to simply gain experience and connections. Along with profound knowledge of the history of art, the most useful fields in which to get work experience include:

• Collection management
• Database management
• Exhibit design
• Research
• Restoration

Some people leave the museum world to become an art appraiser, since you may be able to make more money in that field. An appraiser could work for an insurance company, art gallery, or auction house. Similarly, you could move into the business side of art as an art dealer. Specializing in one field could help you advance into careers like appraiser or dealer of contemporary art.

As a conservator, you may choose to work as a private contractor and be self-employed, or you could find a job at a conservation laboratory. Jobs at the federal level often offer higher pay and can typically be found at institutions like the Smithsonian, Library of Congress, and National Archives and Records Administration.

Job Outlook and Salary Information for Someone Working in Art History

Even though the number of jobs is expected to increase by 20 percent from 2008-2018, competition for those jobs is expected to remain high. That's because the number of people interested in these jobs often outnumber the availability of job openings. The more specialized your training, the better your opportunities may be. If you're interested in becoming a conservator, then you may improve your job prospects by learning a foreign language and by being willing to relocate.

In 2008, museum curators earned a median annual wage of $47,930 annually, although those working for the federal government averaged $80,270, which is why those jobs hold such strong appeal. In general, though, the middle 50 percent of museum curators earn $35,300 to $65,080. Museum technicians and conservators earn slightly less, with salaries for the middle 50 percent ranging from $28,480 to $49,280, and a median annual salary of $37,120.