Gallery and Museum Curators

ANZSCO ID 224212

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,100
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
67%
Female Share
68%
Average age
46

Summary

Gallery or Museum Curators plan and organise gallery or museum collections by drafting collection policies and arranging acquisitions of pieces.

Tasks

  • Plans and organises the acquisition and display of material.

  • Arranges the layout and lighting of historical, scientific or art displays.

  • Researches items in displays and produces publications, delivers public lecturers and initiates exhibitions.

  • Identifies and classifies specimens and objects, and arranges restoration work.

  • Examines items and arranges examinations to determine condition and authenticity.

  • Manages organisations' central records systems.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
Interests
  • Analytical
  • Creative
  • Administrative
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Archivists, Curators and Records Managers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 67% of people employed as Gallery and Museum Curators work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is similar to the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Arts and Recreation Services
66.4%
2
Public Administration and Safety
11.6%
3
Education and Training
8.8%
4
Information Media and Telecommunications
3.8%
5
Other industries
6.8%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

26.9% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

27.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

11.1% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.3% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.9% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

4.3% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.9% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

12.6% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Gallery and Museum Curators All Jobs Average
NSW 26.9 31.6
VIC 27.1 25.6
QLD 11.1 20.0
SA 6.3 7.0
WA 9.9 10.8
TAS 4.3 2.0
NT 1.9 1.0
ACT 12.6 1.9


  • Around 79% of Gallery and Museum Curators live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    The Australian Capital Territory has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
46
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
68%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Gallery and Museum Curators is 46 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 68% of the workforce. This is 20 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Gallery and Museum Curators All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 1.3 9.3
25-34 18.0 22.9
35-44 26.5 22.0
45-54 28.0 21.6
55-59 12.2 9.0
60-64 7.8 6.0
65 and Over 6.1 4.2
Median Age 46 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in arts or science is needed to work as a Gallery or Museum Curator. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Gallery and Museum Curators All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 55.8 10.1
Bachelor degree 31.7 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 4.9 11.6
Certificate III/IV 2.4 21.1
Year 12 4.2 18.1
Year 11 0.4 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.6 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Archivists, Curators and Records Managers who have strong attention to detail, can communicate clearly with a wide variety of people and who can work well in a team.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 64%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 64%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 63%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 63%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 61%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 59%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 59%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 55%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 55%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 54%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 54%

    Management of financial resources

    Figuring out how money is needed to do something, and keeping track of the money that's being spent.

  • 54%

    Management of material resources

    Providing the right equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do work.

  • 54%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 52%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 52%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 50%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 50%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 50%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 50%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 48%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 77%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 74%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 72%

    History and archeology

    Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.

  • 63%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 61%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 60%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 60%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 60%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 59%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 55%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 53%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 49%

    Philosophy and theology

    Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.

  • 48%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 43%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 36%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 34%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • 34%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 34%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 33%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 31%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 66%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 64%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 63%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 63%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 63%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 63%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 61%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 61%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 59%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 55%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 55%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 55%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 54%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 54%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 52%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 52%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 52%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 50%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 50%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 46%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 85%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 85%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 83%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 80%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 79%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 79%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 76%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 75%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 74%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 72%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 70%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 70%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 69%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 69%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 63%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 61%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 59%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 56%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 48%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 45%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 81%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 57%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 57%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 48%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 33%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 86%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 81%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 76%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 71%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 57%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 48%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 99%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 96%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 93%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 88%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 87%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 86%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 85%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 83%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 82%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 82%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 79%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 76%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 76%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 74%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 72%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 71%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 71%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 62%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 59%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 25-4012.00 - Curators.


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