Resources
Post a Job
 Special Offer 

Jumpstart your hiring with a $75 credit to sponsor your first job.*

Sponsored Jobs posted directly on Indeed with Urgently Hiring make a hire 5 days faster than non-sponsored jobs.**
  • Visibility for hard-to-fill roles through branding and urgently hiring
  • Instantly source candidates through matching to expedite your hiring
  • Access skilled candidates to cut down on mismatched hires
*The $75 Sponsored Job credit offer is only available for new accounts in the US that post a job and expires one year after account creation. Upon expiration of the credit, users are charged based on Sponsored Job budget. Terms, conditions, and quality standards apply **Indeed data, based on median United States, Q2 2024

Curator Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
Last updated November 6, 2025
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
4 min read

A Curator, also called a Director, Administrator or Conservator in some organizations, works to collect and maintain items in a museum, library or private research collection. Curators may conduct research, oversee the maintenance of artifacts or documents and provide education to others about a collection.

Curator duties and responsibilities

The job duties of a Curator can vary quite widely based on the type and size of the organization they work for. In a small museum, a Curator may manage most of the museum exhibits, including obtaining items and designing displays. In larger museums or libraries, a Curator might be responsible for a single section of the overall collection.

In most cases, however, job descriptions for Curators tend to list some common duties and responsibilities, such as:

  • Conducting research on collections, artifacts and items, working to authenticate and identify pieces
  • Working on behalf of the museum or alongside others to procure items through purchase, loans or bequests for collections
  • Collaboration with museum teams to plan exhibits to interpret collected items
  • Provide educational tours or create media to help educate the public and others about items in the collection

Hire your next Curator today.

Build a job description

Hire your next Curator today.

Build a job description
Close

Curator Job Description Examples

Example 1

Purpose

Leads the Holland Museum’s Education and the Exhibits Department, including oversight over all public programs, community outreach initiatives, and exhibit development in alignment with the museum’s inclusive mission to tell the stories of Holland’s diverse and dynamic community.

Job Title: Curator of Learning and Community Engagement

Full-Time Position: Exempt

Pay Rate: $48,000-54,000

Medical and Dental Insurance, Paid vacation/sick days, Paid holidays

Location: Holland, Michigan, with the opportunity for remote work one – two days a week

Responsibilities and Accountabilities
  • Community Outreach and Educational Programs
  • Cultivate partnerships and collaborations with community organizations, businesses, and local governments. Strengthen relationships with local school districts and educators.
  • Develop strategies for growing audiences and improving community access to Holland Museum resources and programs.
  • Implement and evaluate outreach initiatives and public programs at the Holland Museum, the Cappon House/Settlers House sites, and the Armory.
  • Provide vision and leadership for the development and implementation of educational programs that align with state curriculum standards, complement the museum’s DEAI mission, and support strategic priorities.
  • Lead the Education Committee to support educational initiatives and community partnerships.
  • Direct the development of long-range interpretive and educational plans for the Holland Museum and the Cappon House/Settlers House sites.
  • Provide managerial oversight for educational programs; staff educational tours and programs as needed.

Exhibits
*
*

Administrative
  • Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate two departmental employees plus interns.
  • Create and manage the Education and Exhibits budgets.
  • Assist with grant applications and administer departmental funding.
  • Represent the Holland Museum at speaking engagements and media appearances.
  • Write program descriptions for newsletter and website; work with staff to promote and market exhibitions and programs.
  • Contribute to the advancement of the museum field through membership and active participation in relevant professional organizations.
  • Other duties as requested or assigned.

Education and Experience
  • A bachelor’s degree in museum studies, art history, public history, education, or closely related field. Master’s degree preferred.
  • A minimum of three years of professional work experience developing educational and public programs at a museum or cultural site.
  • Must have 2+ years supervisory and/or leadership experience.
  • Proficiency in Spanish would be a plus.
  • Valid driver’s license required.

Job Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
  • Must be outgoing, with exceptional customer service skills and the ability to establish positive and effective relationships with a diverse public and workforce.
  • Creative and collaborative, with strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
  • Effective communication skills including writing for a variety of ages and backgrounds, and public speaking.
  • Demonstrated success in developing hands-on learning experiences and engaging new audiences.
  • Demonstrated ability to prioritize and organize work effectively and produce positive outcomes that align with the organizational mission and resources.
  • Ability to forecast expenses and revenue, and work within a budget.
  • Knowledge of current trends in educational theory, public history, and museum best practices.
  • Ability to perform physical tasks (lift 20 lbs.) with physical mobility and ability to climb stairs.
  • Demonstrated computer proficiency, including an excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Suite, email, the Internet, social media, etc. Familiarity with Teams a plus.
  • Ability to work weekends and evenings as necessary and pass a background check.
  • Other duties as requested or assigned.

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion

The Holland Museum is committed to embracing diversity, practicing equity, and ensuring accessibility and inclusion. We will continually strive to achieve a welcoming environment in all our spaces, where staff, board, and community feel respected and valued for their unique perspectives and backgrounds.

The Holland Museum is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, family responsibilities, national origin, or veteran status, or any other protected categories under applicable law. We encourage a diverse pool of candidates to apply. At the Holland Museum, you can bring your whole self to work.

Holland Museum’s Mission and Vision

Mission: Preserving our past, Imagining our future

Vision: To be a cultural leader and community collaborator inspiring the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators.

To Apply

Submit cover letter, resume, and application to Michelle Stempien, Executive Director designate

[website]

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $48,000.00 - $54,000.00 per year

Benefits:
  • Dental insurance
  • Employee discount
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Professional development assistance
Physical setting:
  • Office
Schedule:
  • Day shift
  • Nights as needed
  • Weekends as needed



Ability to Relocate:
  • Holland, MI 49423: Relocate before starting work Location: In person
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
Job Description Best Practices
Optimize your new and existing job descriptions to reach more candidates
Get the Guide

What does a Curator do?

Curators provide essential support in museums, libraries, zoos and private organizations with collections of artifacts or documents, ensuring the safety and viability of those collections. Curators act as both experts on the collection and guardians of the items, coordinating exhibits, artifact care and security with other employees and outside service providers. The work Curators do also helps ensure that the information related to collected items can be made accessible to others.

Curator skills and qualifications

The exact qualifications you want in a Curator job description depends on your organization and the nature of the role. For example, museum Curator job requirements will differ from the requirements for a Curator for a private collection or library. Still, strong candidates for any Curator position will likely have skills such as:

  • Knowledge of the collection items
  • Leadership skills to assist with leading staff in creating exhibits, maintaining artifacts and interacting with the public.
  • Communication and educational skills
  • Attention to detail

Curator experience requirements

When hiring for a Curator, you may want to look for someone with experience in museums, research locations or libraries. Applicants with related experience can also be valuable. For example, a natural history museum might be interested in Curators with field excavation experience.

The level of role you’re hiring for also factors into experience requirements. Someone recently out of college with related degrees might work well as an Assistant Curator, for example, because they can learn on the job from the Lead Curator.

Curator education and training requirements

Commonly, Curator jobs require a master’s degree in a related field. For example, a research library hiring a Curator for its collection of manuscripts from the Middle Ages may want someone with relevant history or library degrees. You might also consider applicants with relevant bachelor’s degrees and several years of experience in museums or related environments.

Curator salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Curator is $63,270 per year. The type of museum employing the Curator, the individual’s responsibilities and experience and the location all play a role in what salary expectations might be.

Curator salary expectations

2025-10-0119000.0069342.59151000.00YEARLY
  • Common salary: 69342.59 YEARLY
  • Typical salaries range from 19000.00 - 151000.00 YEARLY
  • Find more information on Indeed Salaries

*Indeed data – 2025-10-01

Job description samples for similar positions

If you’re looking for a job description guide related to another type of position, you can find plenty of other options. Check out some of the job description information for positions other than Curator below:

Curator job description FAQs

What qualities make for a good Curator?

Strong candidates for a Curator job have resumes that demonstrate attention to detail and creative problem-solving skills. Employers should also look for individuals with a passion for related topics to go along with their relevant degrees and knowledge. Curators who are truly interested in their collections tend to be more successful in conveying those ideas to others and engaging members of the public.

What types of degrees make for a good Curator?

The right degree for a Curator position depends on the organization and collection. A paleontology degree may be helpful for a Curator in a natural history museum, while a fine arts degree would be more relevant for an art museum. Degrees in history, library science or museum studies may also be relevant, depending on your organization.

Who reports to a Curator?

Depending on organizational structure, Curator positions may be supervisory in nature. Some positions that might report to a curator can include Archivists, Registrars and Tour Guides.

Job Description Best Practices
Optimize your new and existing job descriptions to reach more candidates
Get the Guide

Three individuals are sitting at a table with a laptop, a disposable coffee cup, notebooks, and a phone visible. Two are facing each other, while the third’s back is to the camera. The setting appears to be a bright room with large windows.

Hire your next Curator today.

Build a job description

Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

No search results found

    Related articles

    20 Interview Questions to Ask Candidates
    Read article
    How To Hire Employees: A Step-by-Step Guide
    Read article
    Roles and Responsibilities Template (With 3 Samples)
    Read article