Gallery and Museum Curators
Overview
Snapshot
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
-
University
-
Analytical
-
Creative
-
Administrative
-
Enterprising
-
Sedentary
-
Light
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
-
Most Gallery and Museum Curators work in the Arts and recreation services industry. They are also employed in industries like:
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
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
-
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)
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)
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 comprehensionReading work related information.
-
64%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
-
63%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
63%
SpeakingTalking to others.
-
61%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
59%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
59%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
55%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
55%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
54%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
54%
Management of financial resourcesFiguring out how money is needed to do something, and keeping track of the money that's being spent.
-
54%
Management of material resourcesProviding the right equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do work.
-
54%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
52%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
52%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
50%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
50%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
50%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
50%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
-
48%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
77%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
74%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
72%
History and archeologyEvents of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
-
63%
Fine artsCompose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
-
61%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
60%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
60%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
60%
GeographyDescribing 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 anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
55%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
53%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
49%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
48%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
43%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
36%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
34%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
34%
Technical designDesign techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
34%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
33%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
31%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
-
66%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
-
64%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
-
63%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
-
63%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
-
63%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
63%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
61%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
61%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
59%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
-
55%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
55%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
-
55%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
-
54%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
-
54%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
52%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
52%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
52%
VisualizationImagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
50%
Colour discriminationNotice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.
-
50%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
-
46%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
85%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
85%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
83%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
80%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
79%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
79%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
76%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
75%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
74%
Scheduling work and activitiesWorking out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
72%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
70%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
70%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
69%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
69%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
63%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
-
61%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
59%
Guiding and directing staffGuiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
-
56%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
48%
Estimating amounts, costs and resourcesWorking out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
45%
Working with computersUsing 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%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
81%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
57%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
57%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
48%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
33%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
-
86%
IndependenceWork 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%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
76%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
71%
RecognitionAdvancement 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%
RelationshipsServe 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%
SupportSupportive 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
-
100%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
99%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
96%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
93%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
88%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
87%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
86%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
85%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
-
83%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
82%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
-
82%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
79%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
76%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
-
76%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
-
74%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
72%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
71%
Responsible for outcomesTake responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
71%
Repeating same tasksRepeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
62%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
59%
Health and safety of othersTake responsibility for the health and safety of others.
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.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
-
Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.