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Whether you're perusing a museum's collections, familiarizing yourself with the animals at a zoo or examining exotic plants at a botanical garden, you're viewing the work of a curator. Curators oversee collections, working behind the scenes to procure, store and exhibit artwork, historical artifacts and other groups of items and entities that are displayed to the public.

Curator job profile

Curators are often employed at museums. At a small museum, the museum director is usually a curator who is also responsible for the museum's management and administration. Larger institutions, such as national museums, typically employ multiple curators, each of whom has a specialty and whose work is generally of a narrower scope.

In addition to managing collections, curators may design exhibits, organize events for the public, supervise staff, conduct public outreach and raise funds for the institution. Because curators are increasingly "jacks of all trades," there are a number of skills curators generally possess, including analytical and critical-thinking skills, the ability to work well with members of the public, organizational and technical skills, and even stamina, especially when the institution's exhibits are outdoors.

Curator salary: 2011 data

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the national median annual salary for curators in 2011 was $48,800. Curators whose earnings fell into the top 10 percent in 2011 received national annual salaries of $87,380 mean, while those earning in the top 25 percent received $67,030 mean nationally.

Curator salaries varied from industry to industry. In 2011, the industries paying the highest mean annual wages included grant-making and giving services ($91,270 mean) and the federal executive branch ($78,240 mean).

In 2011, four out of the five top-paying states were on the east coast, according to the BLS. In 2011, the states paying curators the highest mean salaries included:

• New York: $66,750 mean
• California: $66,360 mean
• District of Columbia: $65,170 mean
• Connecticut: $64,250 mean
• Massachusetts: $60,880 mean

Top-paying metropolitan areas hailed from a broader geographical spread. Included in the top ten metropolitan areas for mean annual salaries in 2011 were the following:

• Fort Worth-Arlington: $88,140 mean
• Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis: $67,550 mean
• Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor: $67,370 mean

Some states in which the cost of living is relatively low also offered higher-than-average salaries in 2011. According to salary data from the BLS and cost of living data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, the following states might be good choices for curators wanting their incomes to go further:

• Nebraska: 9th in cost of living, $54,990 mean annual salary
• Utah: 10th in cost of living, $56,000 mean annual salary
• Missouri: 12th in cost of living, $54,880 mean annual salary

Curator training: online and in the classroom

While some curators hold bachelors degrees, a master's degree is becoming the standard for obtaining a job as a curator. Schools are increasingly offering graduate-level degrees in museum and curator studies, although most curators hold degrees in their specialties, whether art history, history, archaeology, botany or zoology.

If you are interested in curator training online, consider taking courses in business administration, fundraising and public relations, which may help you gain a competitive edge in the job market. Aspiring curators also need significant hands-on experience working as volunteers or interns in their chosen specialty areas.

Employment outlook for curators

Forecasting a rise in museum attendance, the BLS projects job growth of 25 percent from 2010 to 2020 for curators, higher than the average for all occupations. According to the BLS, jobs are likely to be competitive, due to the appeal of the profession and the number of qualified applicants competing for limited positions. Gaining relevant work experience -- whether as a volunteer, intern or part-time employee -- is often essential for securing a permanent position.