Canada Moderate

Conservators and curators

Conservators restore and conserve artifacts belonging to museums, galleries and owners of cultural property. 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, archives, libraries, government agencies and universities. Conservators may be self-employed.

Employment Outlooks

Economic Region Outlooks

Select your region(s)

Choose up to 3 regions to see employment outlooks. This occupation has data for 72 economic regions.

Salary Information

National wage data for this occupation

Entry-level

CA$23.54

/hr

Typical

CA$36.36

/hr

Experienced

CA$54.74

/hr

96.2% of workers in this occupation receive non-wage benefits

Source: Job Bank Canada. Wages may vary by region and experience.

Examples

Illustrative Examples

art gallery conservator
art objects conservator
conservator - museum
curator
historical artifact conservator
natural history museum curator

All Examples

archaeology curator
archaeology museum curator
architectural conservator
art gallery conservator
art gallery curator
art object curator
art objects conservator
artifact conservator
assistant curator
assistant museum curator
aviation and space museum curator
book conservator
ceramics and glass conservator
conservator - museum
contemporary art curator
contemporary art museum curator
curator
ethnographic objects conservator
ethnology curator
ethnology museum curator
fine art and polychrome conservator
fossil conservator
fossil curator
furniture and wooden objects conservator
herbarium curator
historical artifact conservator
insectarium conservator
insectarium curator
invertebrate zoology curator
invertebrate zoology museum curator
library and archives conservator
library curator
metals conservator
museologist
museum curator
museum objects conservator
natural history museum curator
natural history specimen conservator
natural sciences curator
natural sciences museum curator
ornithology curator
ornithology museum curator
paintings conservator
paper conservator
photograph conservator
photography museum curator
science and technology curator
science and technology museum curator
sculpture conservator
textile conservator
vertebrate zoology curator
vertebrate zoology museum curator

Main Duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Conservators
Examine artifacts, determine their condition, suggest methods for treating them and recommend preventive conservation techniques to their owners
Restore and conserve paintings, photographs, books, papers, sculptures, furniture, pottery or other museum and art gallery artifacts as per particular field of specialization
Provide advice on display and storage of museum and gallery artifacts to ensure proper maintenance and preservation
Explore new conservation and restoration techniques
Provide consultation to museums, art galleries or private individuals
Supervise conservation technicians and other museum technicians.
Curators
Recommend the acquisition of paintings, photographs, sculptures, documents and other museum and art gallery artifacts
Conduct research into objects' methods of construction techniques, structure and materials to understand its physical and chemical makeup
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.

Requirements

Employment Requirements

Conservators require a master's degree in art conservation or completion of a two-year college program in conservation technology and several years of experience in conservation work.
Conservators may be accredited by the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators.
Curators require a master's or bachelor's degree in museology, art history or a field related to their specific area of work.