Hot job: Curators

May 17, 2011

Hot job: Curators

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Henry Art Gallery’s chief curator, Elizabeth Brown.

The job: Curators administer museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, nature centers and historical sites. They plan and oversee the acquisition, storage and exhibition of collections. Some are in charge of research projects, educational programs, staff management, fundraising and publicity for their institution.

A Seattleite at work: Henry Art Gallery chief curator Elizabeth Brown (pictured) says she's always responded to art and the visual experience.

"Being able to work with things I find compelling, seductive and meaningful is a crucial part of why I love my job," Brown says.

"There are so many other great aspects -- meeting and helping such a variety of artists, collectors, scholars and audiences, or working in formats ranging from lectures to writing to organizing exhibitions, for example," Brown says. "But the single most important factor in job satisfaction is that I am always learning."

Outlook: Employment of curators is expected to increase 23 percent over the 2008-18 decade, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Pay: The 160 curators in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area earned a median wage of $58,670 in 2009.

Training: A graduate degree in the specialty of the museum is preferred. Because of keen competition for curator positions, internships and volunteer experience is usually required.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, NWjobs staff

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