Is there a museum job in your future?
Are you: Passionate about art,
education, history, or conservation?
Drawn to nonprofits and their missions?
Interested in working in the hospitality, tourism, or leisure industries?
(Photo by Caitlin E. Curran / Boston.com staff)
No shortage of choices…
There’s greater diversity among museums than you might think…Art MuseumsArboretums & Nature CentersCultural Museums & General MuseumsHistory Museums & Historic SitesLibraries & ArchivesScience & Natural History MuseumsSpecialized & Concept MuseumsZoos & Aquariums
24 OMA Art Museums
Akron Art MuseumAkron Art Museum Artists Archives of the Western ReserveBowling Green State University Fine Arts GalleriesButler Institute of American Art Canton Museum of Art Cincinnati Art Museum Cincinnati Arts Association Cleveland Artists FoundationCleveland Museum of Art Columbus Museum of Art Cowan Pottery Museum Dayton Art Institute Decorative Arts Center of Ohio French Art Colony Kennedy Museum of ArtMcDonough Museum of Art Miami University Art Museum Ohio University Art Gallery Schumacher Gallery Springfield Museum of Art Taft Museum of Art Toledo Museum of Art Walter E. Terhune Gallery Zanesville Museum of Art
Five OMA Arboretums & Nature Centers
Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, Lancaster Aullwood Audubon
Center and Farm, Dayton
Aullwood Audubon Center
& Farm Cleveland
Botanical GardenCuyahoga Valley
National Park Dawes
Arboretum Holden
Arboretum
Six OMA Cultural & General Museums
Akron Art MuseumCincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center Mansfield Memorial MuseumMassillon Museum Southern Ohio Museum & Cultural Center Troy-Hayner Cultural Center William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
Six OMA Science & Natural History Museums
Akron Art Museum
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Cleveland Museum of Natural History COSIGreat Lakes Science Center Hopewell Culture Nat’l Historical Park Orton Geological Museum
COSI
17 OMA Specialized Museums
Ashtabula Marine Museum Central Mutual Insurance Co. Fire
Museum Central Ohio Fire Museum
Degenhart Paperweight & Glass Museum
Intermuseum Conservation Association
International Women's Air & Space Museum
Maritime Museum of Sandusky Medina Toy & Train Museum
Merry-Go-Round Museum Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
Motts Military Museum, Inc. National Heisey Glass Museum National Museum of the USAF
Pro Football Hall of Fame Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and
Museum Steamship William G. Mather
Museum Ukrainian Museum-Archives, Inc.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Thousands more museums around the world…
Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, Lancaster
Akron Art MuseumCanadian Museum of Civilization, Hull
National Museum of Anthropology and History,
Mexico City
British Museum, London
Museum Careers: Where to start?
About half of museum professionals have worked outside traditional museum settings, often including:
• Nonprofit Management• Education• Hospitality & Tourism Industries
Source: Emerging Museum Professional Toolkit (2009 PowerPoint Presentation) by Sarah Stilgenbauer & Jennifer Souers Chevraux
Museum Careers: A-C
Akron Art Museum Accounting & FinanceAdministrationAdministrative AssistantsArchivistsArchitectsBusiness-to-Museum Services ConservatorsConsultantsCommunity Relationship ManagersCurators
Conservators care for and preserve objects of
historic and cultural value.
Museum Careers: D-I
Akron Art Museum Development & Membership Coordinators
EducatorsEvaluation SpecialistsEvents & Rental Planning &
ManagementFood Services Exhibition DesignersFacility/Physical Plant ManagementHistorians & Historic InterpretersInformation Technologists
Exhibition designers often work for directly for museums, or with
for-profit firms that contract with museums.
Museum Careers: M-Z
Marketing Museum Store & Retail SalesPublic RelationsRegistrars & Collection ManagersScientific Specialists
(Archeologists, Paleontologists, Zoologists, etc.) SecurityVisitor ServicesVolunteer CoordinatorsWebsite Developers
Museum marketing can be more subtle than this – but the
goal’s still the same.
How much will I earn?
“No one works in a museum to get rich. There will be several hundred people a day going through the museum who are rich. You will not be one of them.”
Greg AukermanMuseum News March/April 2007
Seriously…how much will I earn?
It really depends on location, years of experience, position, and other factors. You may earn more in larger museums in larger cities (you’ll also have a higher cost of living).
The directors of the largest museums may earn over $1,000,000 a year, but most salaries are (much) more down-to-earth:
Archivists: $36,470 (source: collegegrad.com)
Technicians & Conservators: $38,060 (source: studentsreview.com)
Educators: $44,413 (source: salarywizard.com)
Curators: $46,717 (source: payscale.com)
“The New (Museum) Math”
Graduate School + Intern & Volunteer Experiences + OMA
Professional Development + Lots of Networking
= Your first museum job!
Source: Emerging Museum Professional Toolkit (2009 PowerPoint Presentation) by Sarah Stilgenbauer
& Jennifer Souers Chevraux
Getting your foot in the door
Become a museum intern Become a museum volunteer Become a part-time or seasonal museum
staff member while you’re still in school Earn a degree in Museum Studies or a
related field Update your resume continuously Have business cards printed and keep
them on you!
Regional museum studies programs
Case Western Reserve University - Cleveland, Ohio
University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, Ohio Walsh University - North Canton, Ohio Central Michigan University - Mt. Pleasant University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Michigan State University - East Lansing Murray State University – Murray (KY)
Get an internship…now!
Akron Art Museum If your museum of choice doesn’t offer internships, create an opportunity for yourself!
Call and offer your knowledge and expertise for FREE. Offer to take the director or curator to lunch – you’ll be amazed at the response!