Also called: Provenance Specialist
Traces the ownership history of artworks to prove they're authentic and weren't stolen, especially during World War II.
They dig through archives, auction catalogs, and old letters to trace a painting's owners back centuries. Some help return Nazi-looted art to families. It's detective work for art.
Estimate; few positions at museums, auction houses, and law firms.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Master's in art history; language skills (German, French) help.
Ways in: Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Art History, History, Library Science.
Growing about average. Growing as museums face legal scrutiny of collections.
Medium risk for 10 years. Digitized archives and AI search speed finding records; interpreting gaps, languages and legal claims stay human.
Classes: AP European History, German or French, AP Art History.
Official data: O*NET occupation 25-4012.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.