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Museum Technicians and Conservators in Pennsylvania

Museum Technicians and Conservators in Pennsylvania

Want to work as a Museum Technicians and Conservators in Pennsylvania? Below are the key facts. Restore, maintain, or prepare objects in museum collections for storage, research, or exhibit. May work with specimens such as fossils, skeletal parts, or botanicals; or artifacts, textiles, or art. May identify and record objects or install and arrange them in exhibits. Includes book or document conservators.

What do Museum Technicians and Conservators Make in Pennsylvania?

For museum technicians and conservators working in Pennsylvania, the typical annual salary is $46,230 per year (or about $22.22/hour).Annual wages span from $34,050 at the 10th percentile to $79,790 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic Annual Hourly
10th percentile $34,050 $16.37
25th percentile $36,280 $17.44
Median (50th) $46,230 $22.22
75th percentile $58,450 $28.10
90th percentile $79,790 $38.36
Salary ranges for Museum Technicians and Conservators in Pennsylvania

The job concentration index in Pennsylvania relative to the national average — is 0.92.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, museum technicians and conservators earn a median of $96,273 per year ($46.29/hour), lower than the Pennsylvania median.

Museum Technicians and Conservators earnings in Pennsylvania vs. the national average

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 663,035 museum technicians and conservators across the United States. In Pennsylvania alone, approximately 470 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 160 museum technicians and conservators.

Museum Technicians and Conservators in Pennsylvania vs. the average state Forecasted number of jobs for Museum Technicians and Conservators

Top Pennsylvania Metros for Museum Technicians and Conservators

These are the Pennsylvania metros with the most museum technicians and conservators in Pennsylvania.

Metro Area Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 260 $47,520
Pittsburgh, PA 140 $39,010

Top States for Museum Technicians and Conservators Employment

The table below shows the states where the most museum technicians and conservators work.

State Number Employed
California 1,790
New York 1,060
Missouri 1,000
Texas 780
North Carolina 740
Illinois 570
District of Columbia 520
Pennsylvania 470
Maryland 420
Virginia 360
Ohio 330
Massachusetts 290
Washington 270
Tennessee 270
Michigan 250
Minnesota 230
Connecticut 210
Louisiana 210
Indiana 190
Wisconsin 190

Highest-Paying States for Museum Technicians and Conservators

The highest-paying states for museum technicians and conservators.

State Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia $74,300
Maryland $72,950
Connecticut $66,070
New York $64,680
Alaska $63,490
Massachusetts $59,130
California $58,960
Washington $58,470
Rhode Island $54,230
Colorado $51,780

Skills

Key museum technicians and conservators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Active Listening  3.9 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.6 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  3.6 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  3.2 / 5
0
5
Writing  3.2 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  3.1 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Fine Arts  3.5 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.4 / 5
0
5
Public Safety and Security  3.3 / 5
0
5
History and Archeology  3.2 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.1 / 5
0
5
Chemistry  3.1 / 5
0
5

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for museum technicians and conservators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Near Vision  3.8 / 5
0
5
Oral Expression  3.8 / 5
0
5
Information Ordering  3.6 / 5
0
5
Oral Comprehension  3.6 / 5
0
5
Speech Clarity  3.5 / 5
0
5
Written Expression  3.5 / 5
0
5

Daily Tasks

Museum Technicians and Conservators typically:

  • Install, arrange, assemble, and prepare artifacts for exhibition, ensuring the artifacts' safety, reporting their status and condition, and identifying and correcting any problems with the set up.
  • Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration.
  • Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.
  • Photograph objects for documentation.
  • Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair.
  • Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping.
  • Enter information about museum collections into computer databases.
  • Recommend preservation procedures, such as control of temperature and humidity, to curatorial and building staff.
  • Notify superior when restoration of artifacts requires outside experts.
  • Supervise and work with volunteers.
  • Perform on-site field work which may involve interviewing people, inspecting and identifying artifacts, note-taking, viewing sites and collections, and repainting exhibition spaces.
  • Lead tours and teach educational courses to students and the general public.

Work Activities

  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
  • Getting Information
  • Handling and Moving Objects
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  • Performing General Physical Activities
  • Thinking Creatively
  • Documenting/Recording Information
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Cloud software

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

  • Fine & Studio Arts
  • Museum Studies
  • History

Related occupations to museum technicians and conservators include:

Also Known As

Archaeological Technician, Armorer Technician, Art Conservator, Art Handler, Art Objects Repairer, Art Preparator, Artifacts Conservator, Ceramic Restorer, Conservation Specialist, Conservation Technician, Conservation Worker, Conservator, Conservator Technician, Document Restorer, Ethnographic Materials Conservator.

References

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