About the job
Conservators restore and conserve artifacts belonging to museums, galleries and owners of cultural property. They research, interpret, organize, and maintain collections for museums and art galleries. They also preserve and restore cultural and historical artifacts and artistic works with the goal of preserving each item for future generations. 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 and universities. Conservators may be self-employed.
- Examine artifacts, determine their condition, suggest methods for treating them and recommend preventive conservation techniques to their owners.
- Restore and conserve paintings, photographs, sculptures, furniture, pottery and other museum and art gallery artifacts.
- Provide advice on display and storage of museum and gallery artifacts to ensure proper maintenance and preservation.
- Research new conservation and restoration techniques.
- Provide consultation to museums, art galleries or private individuals.
- Supervise conservation technicians and other museum technicians.
- Recommend the acquisition of paintings, photographs, sculptures, documents and other museum and art gallery artifacts.
- Research origins and artistic history of artifacts.
- Develop storylines and themes and organize displays and exhibitions.
- Coordinate the storage of collections and the setting up of displays and exhibitions.
- Oversee the conservation, display and circulation of collections.
- Supervise curatorial assistants and other museum technicians.
Conservators and curators may specialize in a particular type of collection or material, such as furniture, weapons, books, paintings and musical instruments.
- art gallery conservator
- art gallery curator
- assistant curator
- assistant museum curator
- curator
- library curator
- museum conservator
- museum curator
To work in this field, you need excellent administrative, research, organizational, writing, and planning skills, as well as intellectual curiosity. You should have supervisory skills and the ability to work with people of all ages, including other staff. Knowledge of computer systems, literature, and current information sources is also important. Conservationists require a good understanding of chemistry. Being able to speak and write French would be an asset in some positions.
- Conservators require a master's degree in art conservation or completion of a three-year college program in conservation technology and several years of experience in conservation work.
- Curators require a master's or bachelor's degree in museology, art history or a field related to their specific area of work.
Progression to museum or art gallery management positions is possible with experience.
Labour Market Information
This is not a large occupation in Nova Scotia so job opportunities may not be that frequent. With a large percent of workers being 55 years of age and older, retirements are expected to be a key contributor to employment opportunities over the coming years. Conservators and Curators most commonly work full-time hours. Also, a fair portion of the workforce is self-employed, so having the option to "work for yourself" may appeal to some individuals’ interests/motivations.
The median employment income for 73% of Conservators and Curators who worked full-time, year-round in 2015 was $38,915. Across all occupations in Nova Scotia, 59% of those who worked full-time year round had a median employment income of $43,600.
(Source: 2016 Census)
| Occupation | Estimated employment in 2018 | Estimated change in employment between 2017 and 2019 | Estimated openings due to growth and retirements, 2017-2019 | Estimated rate of unemployment in 2018 | Estimated hourly earnings in 2015 (learn more) | Estimated annual earnings in 2015 |
| Conservators and Curators | 90 | x | x | x | Minimum: N/A Median: N/A Maximum: N/A | Minimum: N/A Median: $32,766 Maximum: N/A |
| Occupations in Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport | 11,000 | Moderate growth | 735 | Moderate | Minimum: $10.81 Median: $16.00 Maximum: $31.00 | Minimum: $945 Median: $11,712 Maximum: $60,447 |
| Conservators and Curators | Compared to: Occupations in Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport | |
| Percent employed full-time | 86% | 59% |
| Percent self-employed | 33% | 33% |
| Area of Employment | Conservators and Curators | Compared to: All NS Occupations | ||
| % Employed | Median Annual Income | % Employed | Median Annual Income | |
| Southern | 20% | x | 12% | $30,581 |
| Northern | 16% | x | 16% | $33,660 |
| Cape Breton | 8% | x | 13% | $32,974 |
| Halifax | 48% | x | 47% | $41,209 |
| Annapolis Valley | 8% | x | 13% | $32,958 |
| Age | Conservators and Curators | Compared to: All Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport |
| % Employed | % Employed | |
| 15-24 | N/A | N/A |
| 25-34 | N/A | 13% |
| 35-44 | 50% | 44% |
| 45-54 | N/A | 35% |
| 55-64 | 50% | 8% |
| 65+ | N/A | 4% |
| Median Age | 50 | 38 |
| Gender | Conservators and Curators | Compared to: Occupations in Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport |
| % Employed | % Employed | |
| Female | 68% | 56% |
| Male | 32% | 44% |
| Education | Conservators and Curators | Compared to: All Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport | ||
| % Employed | Median Annual Income | % Employed | Median Annual Income | |
| Less than high school | x | x | 10.2% | $2,298 |
| High school | x | x | 26.2% | $7,127 |
| Trades certificate | x | x | 3.6% | $13,575 |
| College certificate or diploma | 9.1% | x | 20.3% | $20,158 |
| University certificate or diploma | x | x | 1.7% | $20,801 |
| Bachelor's degree | 36.4% | x | 27.5% | $19,705 |
| University advanced certificate or diploma | x | x | 1.5% | $18,274 |
| Master's degree | x | $70,605 | 8.0% | x |
| Doctorate | 40.9% | x | 1.0% | $30,975 |
| Medicine, dentistry, veterinary, optometry | x | x | 0.1% | $11,741 |
| Total | 100% | 100% | ||
Hourly earnings data are from the Labour Force Survey by Statistics Canada. Data are not available for all occupations. Hourly earnings are calculated based on usual hours worked per week. This is how an annual salary, for instance, gets converted to an hourly rate. The data include full and part-time workers along with new and experienced workers. Self-employed workers are excluded.
Annual employment income data reported in the Work Prospects section, are from the 2011 National Household Survey by Statistics Canada. Much of the data (around 70%) came directly from tax records. The data relates to the year 2010 and includes total wages and salaries and net income from self-employment.
Employment Requirements & Contacts
Training Paths & Education
This instructional program class comprises any program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behaviour and institutions, in comparative perspective. These programs include courses in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, sociocultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs.
This instructional program class comprises any program that focuses on the study of the historical development of art as a social and intellectual phenomenon, the analysis of works of art, and art conservation. These programs include courses in the theory of art, art history research methods, connoisseurship, the preservation and conservation of works of art, and the study of specific periods, cultures, styles, and themes.
This instructional program class comprises any general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of the visual arts. These programs include courses in art, photography, and other visual communications media.
This instructional program class comprises any program that focuses on the study of culture and the relationship of culture to other aspects of social life. These programs include courses in cultural anthropology, anthropological theory, ethnography, linguistics, and quantitative and qualitative research methods.
This instructional program class comprises any program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. These programs include courses in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images); theory of art; colour theory; composition and perspective; anatomy; the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio; and art portfolio marketing.
This instructional program class comprises any program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. These programs include courses in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration.
This instructional program class comprises any program not listed above that relates to History.
There are no additional resources for this occupation.