Also called: Art Conservator, Objects Conservator
Repairs and preserves paintings, sculptures, textiles, and artifacts using science and art skills.
Spends weeks under a magnifier removing yellowed varnish from a 300-year-old painting with tiny swabs, then fills in losses with reversible paint.
Estimate within BLS museum technicians & conservators.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 7 years after high school. Master's in art conservation (very competitive, 3-4 year programs) after chemistry and art history coursework.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Art History, Chemistry, Studio Art.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years). BLS 2024-34.
Low risk for 10 years. AI imaging helps diagnose damage, but removing varnish and repairing objects by hand stays skilled craft.
Classes: AP Chemistry, Studio art, AP Art History.
Official data: O*NET occupation 25-4013.
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.