Museum curators look after, manage, organise, display and develop museum collections, and conduct related research. Museum curators usually specialise in a broad discipline, such as anthropology, art, decorative arts, natural history, social history, science or technology. Within that discipline they are generally recognised as authorities on one or more specific subject areas.
To become a museum curator you usually have to complete an arts or science degree at university with a major in a relevant area, such as anthropology, archaeology, fine arts, history, cultural studies, astronomy, biology or environmental science (preferably at honours level), followed by a postgraduate qualification in museum studies, curatorship or cultural heritage management. To get into the degree courses you usually need to gain your Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. Entry to postgraduate courses usually requires completion of an appropriate bachelor degree and may require previous museum experience. Universities have different prerequisites and some have flexible entry requirements or offer external study. Contact the institutions you are interested in for more information.
Museum curators:
They generally work indoors in museums and art galleries, but they may be required to travel extensively on field study. In small museums, one curator may be responsible for the management of the entire institution and its collections.
Curators may be required to travel to seek work.
Avg. weekly wage:
$1,595
Future growth:
Decline
Employment by state:
ACT ACT 5.1%
NSW NSW 24.4%
NT NT 1.7%
QLD QLD 19.3%
SA SA 5.5%
TAS TAS 1.5%
VIC VIC 36.8%
WA WA 5.7%
Hours worked:
34.1
Unemployment:
Lower unemployment
Gender split:
Male 31.2%
Female 68.8%
Education level:
Age brackets:
15-19 - 3.6%
20-24 - 0.4%
25-34 - 13.5%
35-44 - 31.3%
45-54 - 21.7%
55-59 - 11.1%
60-64 - 11.3%
65 and Over - 7.3%
*The data above is sourced from the Department of Employment’s Job Outlook website.
To become a museum curator you usually have to complete an arts or science degree at university with a major in a relevant area, such as anthropology, archaeology, fine arts, history, cultural studies, astronomy, biology or environmental science (preferably at honours level), followed by a postgraduate qualification in museum studies, curatorship or cultural heritage management. To get into the degree courses you usually need to gain your Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. Entry to postgraduate courses usually requires completion of an appropriate bachelor degree and may require previous museum experience. Universities have different prerequisites and some have flexible entry requirements or offer external study. Contact the institutions you are interested in for more information.
Museum curators:
They generally work indoors in museums and art galleries, but they may be required to travel extensively on field study. In small museums, one curator may be responsible for the management of the entire institution and its collections.
Curators may be required to travel to seek work.
Avg. weekly wage:
$1,595
Future growth:
Decline
Employment by state:
ACT ACT 5.1%
NSW NSW 24.4%
NT NT 1.7%
QLD QLD 19.3%
SA SA 5.5%
TAS TAS 1.5%
VIC VIC 36.8%
WA WA 5.7%
Hours worked:
34.1
Unemployment:
Lower unemployment
Gender split:
Male 31.2%
Female 68.8%
Education level:
Age brackets:
15-19 - 3.6%
20-24 - 0.4%
25-34 - 13.5%
35-44 - 31.3%
45-54 - 21.7%
55-59 - 11.1%
60-64 - 11.3%
65 and Over - 7.3%
*The data above is sourced from the Department of Employment’s Job Outlook website.