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Collection manager

Also called curator, conservator, museum technician

Collection managers ensure the care and preservation of objects within cultural institutions, like museums, libraries, and archives. Collection managers, along with exhibition curators, and conservators, play a very important role in collections care. They can be found in most large museums.

Will there be jobs?Average prospects33 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Legal, social and cultural professionalsWhat does it pay?Above averageFrom about €1,800 (Bulgaria) to €8,800 (Luxembourg) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Legal, social and cultural professionalsWhat do I need to study?Usually a degree9 in 10 have a degree.Legal, social and cultural professionalsWill AI change it?ModeratelyLevel 4 of 6. AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.Archivists and curators · ILO

What you'd do

Archivists and curators · ILO
  • Evaluating and preserving records for administrative, historical, legal, evidential and other purposes
  • Directing or carrying out the preparation of indexes, bibliographies, microfilm copies and other reference aids to the collected material and making them available to users
  • Researching the origin, distribution and use of materials and objects of cultural and historical interest
  • Organizing, developing and maintaining collections of artistic, cultural, scientific or historically significant items
  • Directing or undertaking classification and cataloguing of museum and art gallery collections and organizing exhibitions
  • Researching into, appraising, organizing and preserving historically significant and valuable documents such as government papers, private papers, photographs, maps, manuscripts and audiovisual materials
  • Preparing scholarly papers and reports
  • Planning and implementing the computerized management of archives and electronic records
  • Organizing exhibitions at museums and art galleries, publicizing exhibits and arranging special displays for general, specialized or educational interest
  • Appraising and acquiring archival materials to build and develop an archival collection for research purposes
Provide project information on exhibitionsRespect cultural differences in the field of exhibitionCope with challenging demandsUse ICT resources to solve work related tasksAssess museum object condition+ 10 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Lots of contact with people, including the public
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines now and then
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Curators"

Will there be jobs?

Average prospects

A typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as legal, social and cultural professionals in the EU
5.41m6.54m7.02m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
354,000 new jobs 1,872,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Legal, social and cultural professionals33
All jobs29
Right now
2 of 27 countries report a shortage of archivists and curators, 7 a surplus.
Archivists and curators · EURES

What does it pay?

Above average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,800 a month (Bulgaria) to €8,800 (Luxembourg), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among professionals in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Professionals · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Usually a degree

A degree in library, information and archival studies is the usual route.

Highest qualification of legal, social and cultural professionals (EU, 2025)
Degree 87%Vocational 6%General secondary 5%Basic schooling 2%
Fields that teach it
Library, information and archival studies · Fine arts
Vocational route, EU
Fewer than 1 in 10 trainees in this field
Social science graduates in a matching job
59% in the EU

927 institutions in the EU offer social science bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Moderately

AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.47 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 10 tasks
Planning and implementing the computerized management of archives and electronic records0.67
Evaluating and preserving records for administrative, historical, legal, evidential and other purposes0.58
Directing or carrying out the preparation of indexes, bibliographies, microfilm copies and other reference aids to the collected material and making them available to users0.55
Preparing scholarly papers and reports0.54
Researching into, appraising, organizing and preserving historically significant and valuable documents such as government papers, private papers, photographs, maps, manuscripts and audiovisual materials0.47
Researching the origin, distribution and use of materials and objects of cultural and historical interest0.46
Appraising and acquiring archival materials to build and develop an archival collection for research purposes0.45
Organizing exhibitions at museums and art galleries, publicizing exhibits and arranging special displays for general, specialized or educational interest0.35
Directing or undertaking classification and cataloguing of museum and art gallery collections and organizing exhibitions0.34
Organizing, developing and maintaining collections of artistic, cultural, scientific or historically significant items0.32

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for archivists and curators. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).