BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasCurators

O*NET · 25-4012.00

Curators

Administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. May conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.

Also called Art Curator · Art Handler · Coin Collector · Collections Curator · Collections Manager · Content Curator · Curator · Data Curator
25 more

Digital Curator · Education Curator · Educational Institution Curator · Educational Resource Coordinator · Exhibitions Curator · Exhibits Curator · Field Collector · Herbarium Curator · Metadata Curator · Museum Coordinator · Museum Curator · Museum Educator · Museum Manager · Museum Registrar · Museum Specialist · Natural Science Curator · Numismatist · Old Coin Dealer · Philatelist · Photography and Prints Curator · Photography Curator · Preparator · Preservation Specialist · Stamp Collector · Vertebrate Zoology Curator

Job Zone 5 — Extensive Preparation NeededHolland code CES35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Sustainability Specialists

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 5: Extensive Preparation Needed

Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree, with extensive skill, knowledge and experience — many of these occupations expect more than five years of experience.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

CESConventional · Enterprising · Social — the three strongest interests, in order

  • C Conventional5.36
  • E Enterprising3.84
  • S Social3.82
  • I Investigative3.43
  • A Artistic2.98
  • R Realistic2.47

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Some College Courses3%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree2%
  • Bachelor's Degree6%
  • Post-Baccalaureate Certificate8%
  • Master's Degree44%
  • Doctoral Degree35%
  • Post-Doctoral Training2%
Related work experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (32%)
On-site or in-plant training
None (32%)
On-the-job training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (42%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Reading Comprehensionbasic4.04.6Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Speakingbasic4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Writingbasic3.94.6Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Active Listeningbasic3.94.3Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.84.4Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Complex Problem Solving3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Active Learningbasic3.54.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.53.9Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Monitoringbasic3.44.0Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Systems Analysis3.43.4Level 4 looks like: Determine how a new piece of equipment will affect production rates
  • Systems Evaluation3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Identify the reasons why a client might be unhappy with a product
  • Learning Strategiesbasic3.33.5Level 4 looks like: Identify an alternative approach to help trainees who are having difficulties
Show the other 23
  • Social Perceptiveness3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Coordination3.13.8Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Time Management3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
  • Management of Material Resources3.03.8Level 4 looks like: Evaluate an annual uniform service contract for delivery drivers
  • Management of Personnel Resources3.03.6Level 4 looks like: Direct the activities of a road repair crew with minimal disruption of traffic flow
  • Persuasion3.03.6Level 4 looks like: Convince a supervisor to purchase new office equipment
  • Instructing3.03.4Level 4 looks like: Instruct a coworker in how to operate a software program
  • Negotiation3.03.4Level 4 looks like: Contract with a wholesaler to sell items at a given cost
  • Management of Financial Resources2.93.6Level 4 looks like: Prepare and manage a budget for a short-term project
  • Mathematicsbasic2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Service Orientation2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Quality Control Analysis2.42.5Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Operations Analysis2.42.4Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Sciencebasic2.01.3Level 2 looks like: Conduct standard tests to determine soil quality
  • Operations Monitoring1.81.3Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Programming1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Write a program to sort objects in a database
  • Technology Design1.80.9
  • Troubleshooting1.50.5
  • Operation and Control1.40.4
  • Equipment Selection1.1—
  • Installation1.1—
  • Equipment Maintenance1.0—
  • Repairing1.0—

Tasks

12 core · 3 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials, including the selection of exhibition themes and designs, and develop or install exhibit materials.4.4
  2. Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases.4.2
  3. Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise.4.0
  4. Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public.3.9
  5. Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to ensure that climate and pest control issues are addressed.3.8
  6. Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections.3.8
  7. Write and review grant proposals, journal articles, institutional reports, and publicity materials.3.8
  8. Study, examine, and test acquisitions to authenticate their origin, composition, history, and to assess their current value.3.8
  9. Design, organize, or conduct tours, workshops, and instructional or educational sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and materials.3.8
  10. Train and supervise curatorial, fiscal, technical, research, and clerical staff, as well as volunteers or interns.3.6
  11. Attend meetings, conventions, and civic events to promote use of institution's services, to seek financing, and to maintain community alliances.3.6
  12. Confer with the board of directors to formulate and interpret policies, to determine budget requirements, and to plan overall operations.3.5
Show the other 3
  1. Arrange insurance coverage for objects on loan or for special exhibits and recommend changes in coverage for the entire collection.3.3
  2. Schedule events and organize details, including refreshment, entertainment, decorations, and the collection of any fees.2.8
  3. Establish specifications for reproductions and oversee their manufacture or select items from commercially available replica sources.2.5

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • English Language4.65.6
  • History and Archeology4.55.8
  • Fine Arts3.85.0Level 4 looks like: Play a minor part in a local theater play
  • Administration and Management3.34.3Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Sociology and Anthropology3.34.6Level 4 looks like: Write an article about cultural differences
  • Communications and Media3.24.0Level 4 looks like: Host a music radio show
  • Administrative3.14.4Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Customer and Personal Service3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
Show all 33
  • Education and Training3.14.6Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Geography3.13.9Level 4 looks like: Find a specific country on a world map
  • Philosophy and Theology3.04.0Level 4 looks like: Understand another culture's religious practices
  • Computers and Electronics2.84.0Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Design2.52.9
  • Sales and Marketing2.52.6
  • Foreign Language2.43.2Level 4 looks like: Ask directions in a foreign city
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.42.8
  • Psychology2.42.4Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Economics and Accounting2.31.8Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Mathematics2.22.5Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Public Safety and Security2.22.7
  • Law and Government2.02.2Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Chemistry1.91.9Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Building and Construction1.71.6Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Production and Processing1.71.4Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Telecommunications1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Transportation1.71.5Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Mechanical1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Engineering and Technology1.4—
  • Therapy and Counseling1.41.0Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • Biology1.3—
  • Physics1.3—
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.2—
  • Food Production1.1—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Comprehension4.04.4Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.04.5Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Written Comprehension4.04.8Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Deductive Reasoning3.94.4Level 5 looks like: Decide what factors to consider in selecting stocks
  • Near Vision3.94.4Level 5 looks like: Read the fine print of a legal document
  • Written Expression3.94.8Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Category Flexibility3.84.1Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Inductive Reasoning3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
Show all 52
  • Speech Clarity3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Problem Sensitivity3.64.1Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Speech Recognition3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Originality3.54.1Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Fluency of Ideas3.44.0Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Information Ordering3.43.8Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Visualization3.33.9Level 4 looks like: Follow a diagram to assemble a metal storage cabinet
  • Far Vision3.13.9Level 4 looks like: Read the slides on a presentation from across a room
  • Flexibility of Closure3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Look for a golf ball in tall grass
  • Selective Attention3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Watch security monitors for intruders throughout the night shift
  • Visual Color Discrimination3.03.6Level 4 looks like: Trace electrical circuits marked by various colored wires
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.93.3Level 4 looks like: Decide how to calculate profits to determine the amounts of yearly bonuses
  • Memorization2.82.8
  • Number Facility2.83.1Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Perceptual Speed2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Time Sharing2.82.6Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Speed of Closure2.42.5Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Finger Dexterity2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Static Strength2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Trunk Strength2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Manual Dexterity2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Depth Perception1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Auditory Attention1.81.4Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Extent Flexibility1.80.8
  • Hearing Sensitivity1.81.4Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Multilimb Coordination1.81.3Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Spatial Orientation1.81.1Level 2 looks like: Use the floor plan to locate a store in a mall
  • Stamina1.81.0Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Dynamic Strength1.60.8
  • Gross Body Coordination1.60.6
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.60.6
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.60.6
  • Control Precision1.40.4
  • Explosive Strength1.1—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.1—
  • Night Vision1.1—
  • Peripheral Vision1.1—
  • Response Orientation1.1—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Rate Control1.0—
  • Reaction Time1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Documenting/Recording Information4.54.2Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.55.0Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Getting Information4.45.2Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Thinking Creatively4.45.2Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.25.4Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.15.3Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.05.3Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.05.0Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
Show all 41
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.04.4Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Processing Information4.04.9Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.04.9Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Working with Computers4.03.3Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.95.2Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.94.5Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.95.2Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.84.4Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.84.9Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.64.3Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Training and Teaching Others3.64.2Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.54.1Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.44.3Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.23.9Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Developing and Building Teams3.23.3Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.23.7Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.23.9Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources3.24.0Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.13.0Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.14.1Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.03.8Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.93.4Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.73.3Level 4 looks like: Make a sales pitch to convince others to buy a product
  • Assisting and Caring for Others2.42.6
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.11.7Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.12.4Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.61.2Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.61.4Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.7
  • E-Mail4.7
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6
  • Telephone Conversations4.6
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.5
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.5
  • Contact With Others4.3
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.3
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.1
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.1

Technology

44 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (4)

  • Microsoft Excelhot
  • Microsoft Office softwarehot
  • Microsoft Outlookhot
  • Microsoft PowerPointhot

Hot (17; 4 more marked hot above)

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Apple macOS
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Extensible markup language XML
  • Facebook
  • Linux
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Visual Studio
  • Microsoft Word
  • Perl
  • Python
  • R
  • SAS
Other tools (23)
  • Adobe FreeHand MX
  • Artsystems Collections
  • Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
  • Cuadra Associates STAR/Museums
  • Database software
  • Eloquent Systems Eloquent
  • Ex Libris Group DigiTool
  • FileMaker Pro
  • Gallery Systems EmbARK
  • Gallery Systems The Museum System
  • Graphics software
  • KE Software EMu
  • Microsoft Paint
  • MINISIS MINT
  • PastPerfect Software PastPerfect
  • Questor Systems ARGUS
  • Re:discovery Software Proficio
  • Scheduling software
  • Social media sites
  • Structure query language SQL
  • Vernon Systems Limited Vernon CMS
  • Web browser software
  • Willoughby Associates MIMSY XG

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Archivists
  2. Historians
  3. Museum Technicians and Conservators
  4. Librarians and Media Collections Specialists
  5. Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
  6. Set and Exhibit Designers
  7. Anthropologists and Archeologists
  8. History Teachers, Postsecondary
  9. Art Directors
  10. Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

Closest occupations

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Other O*NET occupations whose importance ratings on the 35 skills both rate are nearest to this one's, with the biggest differences named. A plain rule, not a hidden score.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.