Career Details :: Museum Technicians and Conservators
Description
Prepare specimens, such as fossils, skeletal parts, lace, and textiles, for museum collection and exhibits. May restore documents or install, arrange, and exhibit materials.
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.
Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.
Tasks
- Studies descriptive information on object or conducts standard chemical and physical tests to determine age, composition, and original appearance.
- Cleans objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.
- Repairs and restores surfaces of artifacts to original appearance and to prevent deterioration, according to accepted procedures.
- Preserves or directs preservation of objects, using plaster, resin, sealants, hardeners, and shellac.
- Cuts and welds metal sections in reconstruction or renovation of exterior structural sections and accessories of exhibits.
- Designs and fabricates missing or broken parts.
- Builds, repairs, and installs wooden steps, scaffolds, and walkways to gain access to or permit improved view of exhibited equipment.
- Estimates cost of restoration work.
- Directs curatorial and technical staff in handling, mounting, care, and storage of art objects.
- Notifies superior when restoration of artifact requires outside experts.
- Prepares reports of activities and documents methods of preservation and repair.
- Plans and conducts research to develop and improve methods of restoring and preserving specimens.
- Installs, arranges, assembles, and prepares artifacts for exhibition.
- Recommends preservation measures, such as control of temperature, humidity, and exposure to light, to curatorial and building maintenance staff.
- Evaluates need for repair and determines safest and most effective method of treating surface of object.
- Constructs skeletal mounts of fossils, replicas of archaeological artifacts, or duplicate specimens, using variety of materials and hand tools.
- Repairs or reassembles broken objects, using glue, solder, hand tools, power tools, and small machines.
Related Careers
- Costume Attendants
- Food Batchmakers
- Geological Sample Test Technicians
- Medical Appliance Technicians
- Product Safety Engineers
- Set Designers
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
- Communicating With Other Workers
- Judging Qualities of Things, Service, People
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Important Skills
Frequent Work Context
- Job-Required Social Interaction
- Objective or Subjective Information
- Coordinate or Lead Others
- Responsible for Others' Health & Safety
- Indoors
Related Majors
| Major (A) Associate (B) Bachelors (C) Certificate (D) Doctor (M) Master | Add to XapPack |
|---|---|
| Acquisitions Administration (M) | |
| Applied and Public History (B) | |
| Applied Art History (M) | |
| Applied History (B) | |
| Archival Studies (M) | |
| Archival/Museum/Editing Studies (M) | |
| Archivist (M) | |
| Art Conservation (B) | |
| Art Conservation (M) | |
| Art Education/Art History (B) | |
| Art History (A) | |
| Art History (B) | |
| Art History (D) | |
| Art History (M) | |
| Art History (B) | |
| Criticism & Conservation (B) | |
| Art History/Administrative Studies (B) | |
| Art History/Appreciation (B) | |
| Art History/Archaeology (D) | |
| Art History/Archeology (B) | |
| Art History/Criticism (D) | |
| Art History/Criticism (M) | |
| Art History/Criticism (B) | |
| Art History/Criticism/Conservation (D) | |
| Art History/Criticism/Conservation (M) | |
| Art History/Criticism/Conservation (A) | |
| Art History/Curatorial Studies (B) | |
| Art History/Curatorial Studies (B) | |
| Art History/Fine Arts (B) | |
| Art History/History (D) | |
| Art History/Museum Studies (M) | |
| Art History/Museum Studies (B) | |
| Art History/Religious Studies (B) | |
| Art History/Studio (D) | |
| Art History/Theory (B) | |
| Art History/Theory/Criticism (M) | |
| Art History/Theory/Criticism (B) | |
| Art History/Visual Arts (M) | |
| Art/Archaeology (D) | |
| Art/Archaeology of the Mediterranean World (B) | |
| Art/Architectural History (B) | |
| Art/Art History (B) | |
| Art/Historic Preservation (B) | |
| Criticism/Conservation (B) | |
| Cultural Resource Management (M) | |
| Curatorial Practice (B) | |
| Curatorial Studies (M) | |
| Curatorial Studies (B) | |
| Education/Art (B) | |
| Fine Art History (B) | |
| Fine Arts/Art History (D) | |
| Fine Arts/History of Art/Archeology (M) | |
| Fine Arts/History of Art/Archeology (M) | |
| Historical Decorative Arts & Design (B) | |
| History in Art (D) | |
| History in Art (M) | |
| History in Art (A) | |
| History of Art (B) | |
| History of Art (D) | |
| History of Art (M) | |
| History of Art (D) | |
| History of Art/Archaeology (M) | |
| History of Art/Archaeology (D) | |
| History of Art/Architectural History (B) | |
| History of Art/Architecture (D) | |
| History of Art/Architecture (M) | |
| History of Art/Architecture (B) | |
| History of Public Policy (B) | |
| History/Art History (M) | |
| History/Museum Studies (D) | |
| History/Theory of Art (B) | |
| Indian Art History (M) | |
| Museology (M) | |
| Museum & Editing Studies (M) | |
| Museum Communication (M) | |
| Museum Education (M) | |
| Museum Exhibit Planning/Design (B) | |
| Museum Management (M) | |
| Museum Professions (M) | |
| Museum Science (A) | |
| Museum Studies (B) | |
| Museum Studies (M) | |
| Museum Studies (B) | |
| Museum/Exhibition Design (M) | |
| Museum/Exhibition Studies (M) | |
| Museum/Field Studies (B) | |
| Visual Arts History (A) |
Institutions Offering Related Majors
| College | Key Facts | Add to XapPack |
|---|---|---|
| Adams State College | ||
| Adelphi University | ||
| Agnes Scott College | ||
| Albertus Magnus College | ||
| Albion College | ||
| Allegheny College | ||
| American College of Greece, The | ||
| American University - Washington | ||
| American University of Paris | ||
| Appalachian State University | ||
| Aquinas College - Grand Rapids | ||
| Arcadia University | ||
| Arizona State University | ||
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | ||
| Art Institute of Boston at Lesley | ||
| ATI - Career Training Center - Fort Lauderdale | ||
| ATI - Career Training Center - Miami | ||
| Augustana College | ||
| Baker University | ||
| Baldwin-Wallace College | ||
| Barat College | ||
| Bard College | ||
| Barnard College | ||
| Baylor University | ||
| Beloit College | ||
| Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | ||
| Boise State University | ||
| Boston College | ||
| Boston University | ||
| Bowdoin College | ||
| Bowling Green State University - Bowling Green | ||
| Bradley University | ||
| Brandeis University | ||
| Brevard College | ||
| Brigham Young University - Utah Campus | ||
| Brown University | ||
| Bryn Mawr College | ||
| Bucknell University | ||
| California College of the Arts | ||
| Calvin College | ||
| Canada College | ||
| Canisius College | ||
| Caribbean University | ||
| Carleton College | ||
| Carleton University | ||
| Carlow University | ||
| Case Western Reserve University | ||
| Catholic University of America, The | ||
| Central Michigan University | ||
| Central State University | ||
| Chadron State College | ||
| Chapman University | ||
| Charter Oak State College | ||
| Chatham College | ||
| Clark University | ||
| Clarke University | ||
| Colby College | ||
| Colby-Sawyer College | ||
| Colgate University | ||
| College of Charleston | ||
| College of New Jersey | ||
| College of Santa Fe | ||
| College of the Holy Cross | ||
| College of William and Mary | ||
| College of Wooster | ||
| Colorado Christian University | ||
| Columbia University - Columbia College | ||
| Columbia University - School of General Studies | ||
| Concordia College (Minnesota) | ||
| Concordia University of Canada | ||
| Connecticut College | ||
| Cornell University | ||
| CSU Fullerton | ||
| CSU Long Beach | ||
| CSU Sacramento | ||
| CSU Stanislaus | ||
| Cuyahoga Community College - Metropolitan Campus - Cleveland | ||
| Cuyamaca College | ||
| Dartmouth College | ||
| Denison University | ||
| DePauw University | ||
| Diablo Valley College | ||
| Dickinson College | ||
| Dominican University | ||
| Dominican University of California | ||
| Dordt College | ||
| Drake University | ||
| Drury University - Springfield | ||
| Duke University | ||
| Duquesne University | ||
| Earlham College | ||
| East Carolina University | ||
| East Tennessee State University | ||
| Eastern Kentucky University | ||
| Eastern Michigan University | ||
| Eastern University | ||
| Eastern Washington University | ||
| Edinboro University of Pennsylvania | ||
| Emory University | ||
| Fairfield University | ||
| Fashion Institute of Technology | ||
| Ferris State University | ||
| Florida Atlantic University | ||
| Florida International University | ||
| Florida Southern College | ||
| Florida State University | ||
| Fordham University | ||
| Fort Lewis College | ||
| Framingham State College | ||
| Francis Tuttle Vocational-Technical Center | ||
| Franklin College Switzerland | ||
| Gallaudet University | ||
| George Mason University | ||
| George Washington University, The | ||
| Georgetown University | ||
| Georgia State University | ||
| Georgian Court College | ||
| Gettysburg College | ||
| Grand Valley State University | ||
| Guilford College | ||
| Gustavus Adolphus College | ||
| Hamilton College | ||
| Hamline University | ||
| Hampshire College | ||
| Hanover College | ||
| Hartwick College | ||
| Harvard University | ||
| Hastings College | ||
| Haverford College | ||
| High-Tech Institute - Orlando | ||
| Hiram College | ||
| Hobart and William Smith Colleges | ||
| Hofstra University | ||
| Hollins University | ||
| Hood College | ||
| Hope College | ||
| Howard University | ||
| Huertas Junior College | ||
| Humboldt State University | ||
| Huron University USA in London | ||
| Indiana University Southeast | ||
| Institute of Design and Construction | ||
| Ithaca College | ||
| Ivy Tech State College - Indianapolis | ||
| James Madison University | ||
| John Carroll University | ||
| John F. Kennedy University | ||
| Johns Hopkins University | ||
| Kalamazoo College | ||
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | ||
| Kansas City Art Institute | ||
| Kansas City Kansas Community College | ||
| Kean University | ||
| Kendall College of Art and Design | ||
| Kent State University - Kent | ||
| Kenyon College | ||
| Knox College | ||
| La Salle University | ||
| Lake Forest College | ||
| Lambuth University | ||
| Lawrence University | ||
| Lebanon Valley College | ||
| Lees-McRae College | ||
| Lehigh University | ||
| Lehman College | ||
| Lindenwood University | ||
| Long Island University - C.W. Post | ||
| Louisiana State University - Agricultural and Mechanical College | ||
| Lourdes College | ||
| Loyola Marymount University | ||
| Loyola University of Chicago | ||
| Lycoming College | ||
| Manhattanville College | ||
| Mansfield University of Pennsylvania | ||
| Marian College | ||
| Marlboro College | ||
| Mary Baldwin College | ||
| Maryland Institute - College of Art | ||
| Maryville College | ||
| Massachusetts College of Art | ||
| Mastbaum Area Vocational-Technical School | ||
| McDaniel College | ||
| McGill University | ||
| McPherson College | ||
| Messiah College | ||
| Michigan State University | ||
| Middle Tennessee State University | ||
| Middlebury College | ||
| Mills College | ||
| Millsaps College | ||
| Minnesota State University, Mankato | ||
| Moore College of Art and Design | ||
| Moravian College | ||
| Nazareth College | ||
| New College of Florida | ||
| New England College | ||
| North Harris Montgomery Community College District | ||
| Northern Arizona University | ||
| Northern Illinois University | ||
| Northern Michigan University | ||
| Northwestern University | ||
| Nova Institute of Health Technology - Whittier | ||
| Nova Scotia College of Art and Design | ||
| Oakland University | ||
| Oberlin College | ||
| Occidental College | ||
| Ohio State University, The - Columbus | ||
| Ohio Wesleyan University | ||
| Oklahoma Baptist University | ||
| Old Dominion University | ||
| Our Lady of the Lake College | ||
| Pace University | ||
| Palm Beach Atlantic University | ||
| Parsons School of Design | ||
| Penn State University Park | ||
| Pitzer College | ||
| Point Park College | ||
| Pomona College | ||
| Portland State University | ||
| Pratt Institute | ||
| Princeton University | ||
| Providence College | ||
| Queens College | ||
| Randolph-Macon College | ||
| Regis College | ||
| Rhode Island College | ||
| Rice University | ||
| Richmond College, American International University in London | ||
| Ripon College | ||
| Roanoke College | ||
| Rockford College | ||
| Roger Williams University | ||
| Rollins College | ||
| Roosevelt University | ||
| Rosemont College | ||
| Rutgers University - Camden College of Arts and Sciences | ||
| Rutgers University - Douglass College | ||
| Rutgers University - Livingston College | ||
| Rutgers University - New Brunswick Campus | ||
| Rutgers University - Newark College of Arts and Sciences | ||
| Rutgers University - Rutgers College | ||
| Saint Joseph College | ||
| Saint Louis University | ||
| Saint Mary's College of California | ||
| Saint Olaf College | ||
| Saint Peter's College | ||
| Saint Vincent College | ||
| Salem College | ||
| Salve Regina University | ||
| San Diego State University | ||
| San Francisco Art Institute | ||
| San Francisco State University | ||
| San Jose State University | ||
| Santa Clara University | ||
| Sarah Lawrence College | ||
| Savannah College of Art and Design, The | ||
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago, The | ||
| Scripps College | ||
| Seton Hall University | ||
| Seton Hill University | ||
| Sewanee - University of the South | ||
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | ||
| Siena Heights University | ||
| Skidmore College | ||
| Smith College | ||
| Sonoma State University | ||
| Southeastern Louisiana University | ||
| Southern Methodist University | ||
| Southern University at New Orleans | ||
| Southwest Missouri State University - Springfield | ||
| Southwestern University | ||
| St. Catherine, The College of | ||
| St. Cloud State University | ||
| St. Mary's College of Maryland | ||
| Stanford University | ||
| State University College at Buffalo | ||
| State University College at Geneseo | ||
| State University College at New Paltz | ||
| State University College at Oneonta | ||
| State University College at Potsdam | ||
| State University College at Purchase | ||
| State University of New York at Albany | ||
| State University of New York at Binghamton | ||
| State University of New York at Buffalo | ||
| State University of New York at Stony Brook | ||
| Stephen F. Austin State University | ||
| Suffolk University | ||
| Susquehanna University | ||
| Swarthmore College | ||
| Sweet Briar College | ||
| Syracuse University | ||
| Temple University | ||
| Texas Christian University | ||
| Texas Tech University | ||
| The University of Tulsa | ||
| Thomas More College | ||
| Towson University | ||
| Trinity College | ||
| Trinity University | ||
| Truman State University | ||
| Tufts University | ||
| Tulane University | ||
| Tusculum College | ||
| UC Berkeley | ||
| UC Davis | ||
| UC Irvine | ||
| UC Los Angeles | ||
| UC Riverside | ||
| UC San Diego | ||
| UC Santa Barbara | ||
| University of Akron, The | ||
| University of Alabama | ||
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | ||
| University of Arizona | ||
| University of Arkansas - Little Rock | ||
| University of British Columbia | ||
| University of Calgary | ||
| University of Central Oklahoma | ||
| University of Chicago | ||
| University of Cincinnati | ||
| University of Colorado - Boulder | ||
| University of Colorado Denver | ||
| University of Connecticut | ||
| University of Dallas | ||
| University of Dayton | ||
| University of Delaware | ||
| University of Denver | ||
| University of Evansville | ||
| University of Florida | ||
| University of Georgia | ||
| University of Guelph | ||
| University of Hartford | ||
| University of Houston | ||
| University of Illinois - Chicago | ||
| University of Illinois - Urbana | ||
| University of Iowa | ||
| University of Kansas - Lawrence | ||
| University of Kentucky | ||
| University of La Verne | ||
| University of Louisville | ||
| University of Maine | ||
| University of Manitoba | ||
| University of Mary Washington | ||
| University of Maryland - College Park | ||
| University of Massachusetts - Amherst | ||
| University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth | ||
| University of Memphis | ||
| University of Miami | ||
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | ||
| University of Michigan - Dearborn | ||
| University of Minnesota - Duluth | ||
| University of Minnesota - Morris | ||
| University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | ||
| University of Mississippi | ||
| University of Missouri - Columbia | ||
| University of Missouri - Kansas City | ||
| University of Missouri - St. Louis | ||
| University of Nebraska - Lincoln | ||
| University of Nebraska - Omaha | ||
| University of Nevada - Las Vegas | ||
| University of New Hampshire | ||
| University of New Mexico - Main Campus | ||
| University of New Orleans | ||
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | ||
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | ||
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | ||
| University of North Texas | ||
| University of Northern Iowa | ||
| University of Notre Dame | ||
| University of Oklahoma | ||
| University of Oregon | ||
| University of Pennsylvania | ||
| University of Pittsburgh | ||
| University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus | ||
| University of Redlands | ||
| University of Regina | ||
| University of Rhode Island | ||
| University of Richmond | ||
| University of Rochester | ||
| University of Saint Francis - Indiana | ||
| University of San Diego | ||
| University of Saskatchewan | ||
| University of South Alabama | ||
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | ||
| University of South Florida | ||
| University of Southern California | ||
| University of St. Thomas - MN | ||
| University of Tennessee - Knoxville | ||
| University of Texas - Arlington | ||
| University of Texas - Austin | ||
| University of Texas - San Antonio | ||
| University of Texas - Tyler | ||
| University of the Arts | ||
| University of Toledo | ||
| University of Toronto | ||
| University of Utah | ||
| University of Vermont | ||
| University of Victoria | ||
| University of Virginia | ||
| University of Washington | ||
| University of Western Ontario | ||
| University of Windsor | ||
| University of Winnipeg | ||
| University of Wisconsin - Madison | ||
| University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | ||
| Ursuline College | ||
| Utah College of Applied Technology - Davis | ||
| Vanderbilt University | ||
| Villanova University | ||
| Virginia Commonwealth University | ||
| Walsh University | ||
| Washburn University | ||
| Washington and Lee University | ||
| Washington University in St. Louis | ||
| Wayne State University | ||
| Wellesley College | ||
| Wesleyan College | ||
| Wesleyan University | ||
| West Virginia University | ||
| Western Michigan University | ||
| Western State College of Colorado | ||
| Western Washington University | ||
| Wheaton College | ||
| Whitman College | ||
| Wichita State University | ||
| Willamette University | ||
| William Paterson University of New Jersey | ||
| Williams College | ||
| Winthrop University | ||
| Wofford College | ||
| Wright State University | ||
| Yale University | ||
| York College - CUNY | ||
| York University | ||
| Youngstown State University |