How to become a conservator or curator
Official title: Conservators and curators
Also called: Curator, Fossil curator, Museum curator, Library curator, Book conservator, Assistant curator, Ethnology curator, Herbarium curator, Paper conservator, Art object curator, Fossil conservator, Metals conservator
Conservators restore and conserve artifacts belonging to museums, galleries and owners of cultural property. Curators recommend the acquisition of museum artifacts and gallery works of art and research their artistic history. Conservators and curators are employed in museums, art galleries, archives, libraries, government agencies and universities. Conservators may be self-employed.
Main tasks
- Conservators
- Examine artifacts, determine their condition, suggest methods for treating them and recommend preventive conservation techniques to their owners
- Restore and conserve paintings, photographs, books, papers, sculptures, furniture, pottery or other museum and art gallery artifacts as per particular field of specialization
- Provide advice on display and storage of museum and gallery artifacts to ensure proper maintenance and preservation
- Explore new conservation and restoration techniques
- Provide consultation to museums, art galleries or private individuals
- Supervise conservation technicians and other museum technicians
- Curators
How to become one
Conservators require a master's degree in art conservation or completion of a two-year college program in conservation technology and several years of experience in conservation work. Conservators may be accredited by the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators. Curators require a master's or bachelor's degree in museology, art history or a field related to their specific area of work.
Ways in
- University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 18 universities in Canada
Pay · Outlook
- Median pay: $70,902 a year
- About 3,000 people worked in this job in 2023, and about 3,400 are projected by 2033. (+13.3%)
- Projected labour market to 2033: balance.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a conservator or curator?
Conservators require a master's degree in art conservation or completion of a two-year college program in conservation technology and several years of experience in conservation work. Conservators may be accredited by the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators. Curators require a master's or bachelor's degree in museology, art history or a field related to their specific area of work.
How much does a conservator or curator earn in Canada?
Median full-time pay is $70,902 a year (Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank)).
Is a conservator or curator a growing career in Canada?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 13% by 2033, from about 3,000 to about 3,400 people (Employment and Social Development Canada).
Do you need a degree to become a conservator or curator?
Usually. 87% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census 2021: employment by occupation, gender and education (98-10-0449) (2021 Census), Statistics Canada Open Licence, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 (Version 1.0), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) (2024 to 2033), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03