Museum Technicians and Conservators

Educational Instruction and Library Occupations

O*NET-SOC code: 25-4013.00

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.

Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery high
Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
Source dataset (XLSX download)
Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745
Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
Source dataset (CSV download)
Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.37
0.09Range of values carried here0.70
Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
Source dataset (PDF download)

What kind of figure this source publishes

The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.

Task-level exposure

Exposed tasks only

26 rated tasks · 12 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (46.2%)

β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.

Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
2 rated tasks are not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; their scores are kept as published for O*NET 27.2.

Source: OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
Release: gh-main-0471612
License: MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI

Task (O*NET 20.1)	Claude.aiRaw / share %	APIRaw / share %
Photograph objects for documentation. 25-4013.00	0.014248.8	0.0051100.0
Study object documentation or conduct standard chemical and physical tests to ascertain the object's age, composition, original appearance, need for treatment or restoration, and appropriate preservation method. 25-4013.00	0.006823.4	—0
Supervise and work with volunteers. 25-4013.00	0.003211.0	—0
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. 25-4013.00	0.00186.2	—0
Coordinate exhibit installations, assisting with design, constructing displays, dioramas, display cases, and models, and ensuring the availability of necessary materials. 25-4013.00	0.00165.5	—0
Recommend preservation procedures, such as control of temperature and humidity, to curatorial and building staff. 25-4013.00	0.00155.2	—0
Not observed on any surface — 19 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states.
Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair.	—0	—0
Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.	—0	—0
Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping.	—0	—0
Perform tests and examinations to establish storage and conservation requirements, policies, and procedures.	—0	—0
Notify superior when restoration of artifacts requires outside experts.	—0	—0
Direct and supervise curatorial, technical, and student staff in the handling, mounting, care, and storage of art objects.	—0	—0
Lead tours and teach educational courses to students and the general public.	—0	—0
Specialize in particular materials or types of object, such as documents and books, paintings, decorative arts, textiles, metals, or architectural materials.	—0	—0
Classify and assign registration numbers to artifacts and supervise inventory control.	—0	—0
Perform on-site field work which may involve interviewing people, inspecting and identifying artifacts, note-taking, viewing sites and collections, and repainting exhibition spaces.	—0	—0
Repair, restore and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration.	—0	—0
Prepare reports on the operation of conservation laboratories, documenting the condition of artifacts, treatment options, and the methods of preservation and repair used.	—0	—0
Cut and weld metal sections in reconstruction or renovation of exterior structural sections and accessories of exhibits.	—0	—0
Plan and conduct research to develop and improve methods of restoring and preserving specimens.	—0	—0
Estimate cost of restoration work.	—0	—0
Preserve or direct preservation of objects, using plaster, resin, sealants, hardeners, and shellac.	—0	—0
Build, repair, and install wooden steps, scaffolds, and walkways to gain access to or permit improved view of exhibited equipment.	—0	—0
Construct skeletal mounts of fossils, replicas of archaeological artifacts, or duplicate specimens, using a variety of materials and hand tools.	—0	—0
Deliver artwork on courier trips.	—0	—0

Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.

Task (O*NET 27.2)	βE1 + 0.5 × E2
Enter information about museum collections into computer databases. O*NET Task ID 21065	1.0
Coordinate exhibit installations, assisting with design, constructing displays, dioramas, display cases, and models, and ensuring the availability of necessary materials. O*NET Task ID 3807	0.5
Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair. O*NET Task ID 3808	0.5
Specialize in particular materials or types of object, such as documents and books, paintings, decorative arts, textiles, metals, or architectural materials. O*NET Task ID 3813	0.5
Recommend preservation procedures, such as control of temperature and humidity, to curatorial and building staff. O*NET Task ID 3814	0.5
Classify and assign registration numbers to artifacts and supervise inventory control. O*NET Task ID 3815	0.5
Prepare reports on the operation of conservation laboratories, documenting the condition of artifacts, treatment options, and the methods of preservation and repair used. O*NET Task ID 3819	0.5
Study object documentation or conduct standard chemical and physical tests to ascertain the object's age, composition, original appearance, need for treatment or restoration, and appropriate preservation method. O*NET Task ID 3820	0.5
Perform tests and examinations to establish storage and conservation requirements, policies, and procedures. O*NET Task ID 3822	0.5
Plan and conduct research to develop and improve methods of restoring and preserving specimens. O*NET Task ID 3823	0.5
Estimate cost of restoration work. O*NET Task ID 3825	0.5
Photograph objects for documentation. O*NET Task ID 18644	0.5
Show 2 more tasks ▾Show less ▴
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. O*NET Task ID 3806	0.0
Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes. O*NET Task ID 3809	0.0
Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping. O*NET Task ID 3810	0.0
Supervise and work with volunteers. O*NET Task ID 3811	0.0
Perform on-site field work which may involve interviewing people, inspecting and identifying artifacts, note-taking, viewing sites and collections, and repainting exhibition spaces. O*NET Task ID 3817	0.0
Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration. O*NET Task ID 3818	0.0
Cut and weld metal sections in reconstruction or renovation of exterior structural sections and accessories of exhibits. O*NET Task ID 3821	0.0
Notify superior when restoration of artifacts requires outside experts. O*NET Task ID 3824	0.0
Preserve or direct preservation of objects, using plaster, resin, sealants, hardeners, and shellac. O*NET Task ID 3826	0.0
Build, repair, and install wooden steps, scaffolds, and walkways to gain access to or permit improved view of exhibited equipment. O*NET Task ID 3827	0.0
Construct skeletal mounts of fossils, replicas of archaeological artifacts, or duplicate specimens, using a variety of materials and hand tools. O*NET Task ID 3828	0.0
Direct and supervise curatorial, technical, and student staff in the handling, mounting, care, and storage of art objects. O*NET Task ID 18643	0.0
Lead tours and teach educational courses to students and the general public. O*NET Task ID 18645	0.0
Deliver artwork on courier trips. O*NET Task ID 18646	0.0

β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.

Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page

All O*NET 31.0 task statements (24)

All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.

Task (O*NET 31.0)	Type
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.	Core
Coordinate exhibit installations, assisting with design, constructing displays, dioramas, display cases, and models, and ensuring the availability of necessary materials.	Core
Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair.	Core
Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.	Core
Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping.	Core
Supervise and work with volunteers.	Core
Specialize in particular materials or types of object, such as documents and books, paintings, decorative arts, textiles, metals, or architectural materials.	Core
Recommend preservation procedures, such as control of temperature and humidity, to curatorial and building staff.	Core
Perform on-site field work which may involve interviewing people, inspecting and identifying artifacts, note-taking, viewing sites and collections, and repainting exhibition spaces.	Core
Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration.	Core
Prepare reports on the operation of conservation laboratories, documenting the condition of artifacts, treatment options, and the methods of preservation and repair used.	Core
Study object documentation or conduct standard chemical and physical tests to ascertain the object's age, composition, original appearance, need for treatment or restoration, and appropriate preservation method.	Core
Perform tests and examinations to establish storage and conservation requirements, policies, and procedures.	Core
Plan and conduct research to develop and improve methods of restoring and preserving specimens.	Core
Notify superior when restoration of artifacts requires outside experts.	Core
Estimate cost of restoration work.	Core
Direct and supervise curatorial, technical, and student staff in the handling, mounting, care, and storage of art objects.	Core
Photograph objects for documentation.	Core
Deliver artwork on courier trips.	Core
Enter information about museum collections into computer databases.	Core
Classify and assign registration numbers to artifacts and supervise inventory control.	Supplemental
Preserve or direct preservation of objects, using plaster, resin, sealants, hardeners, and shellac.	Supplemental
Construct skeletal mounts of fossils, replicas of archaeological artifacts, or duplicate specimens, using a variety of materials and hand tools.	Supplemental
Lead tours and teach educational courses to students and the general public.	Supplemental

Anthropic, "What work can robots do?"2026-09

0.14/ 3· Robot exposure index

0 none3 unstructured settings

Scale, basis and source

Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time

Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks

Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.

Source dataset

The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.

Tier of each physical task

Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)

E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site

Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.

Task (O*NET 29.3)	Robot environment tier
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.	E0 none
Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair.	E0 none
Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.	E0 none
Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping.	E0 none
Perform on-site field work which may involve interviewing people, inspecting and identifying artifacts, note-taking, viewing sites and collections, and repainting exhibition spaces.	E0 none
Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration.	E0 none
Photograph objects for documentation.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Coordinate exhibit installations, assisting with design, constructing displays, dioramas, display cases, and models, and ensuring the availability of necessary materials.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Specialize in particular materials or types of object, such as documents and books, paintings, decorative arts, textiles, metals, or architectural materials.	E0 none
Classify and assign registration numbers to artifacts and supervise inventory control.	E0 none
Study object documentation or conduct standard chemical and physical tests to ascertain the object's age, composition, original appearance, need for treatment or restoration, and appropriate preservation method.	E0 none
Perform tests and examinations to establish storage and conservation requirements, policies, and procedures.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Plan and conduct research to develop and improve methods of restoring and preserving specimens.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Preserve or direct preservation of objects, using plaster, resin, sealants, hardeners, and shellac.	E0 none
Build, repair, and install wooden steps, scaffolds, and walkways to gain access to or permit improved view of exhibited equipment.	E0 none
Deliver artwork on courier trips.	E0 none

Employment outlook (BLS)

Employment, 2025: 14K
Projected employment, 2035: 15K
Change (2025–35): +3.6%
Median annual wage, 2025: $51,440
Typical education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree

lowest $30,890median wage across 825 detailed occupations, BLS EP 2025–35highest $559,030

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — Employment by detailed occupation, 2025 and projected 2035

Korea classification links (KSCO)

Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.

KSCO code	KSCO title	Relation	Status
29211	학예사	This occupation is broader	confirmed
29212	문화재 보존원	This occupation is broader	confirmed

Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)

ILO occupational description

AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.

ISCO-08 3433Gallery, Museum and Library Technicians

The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.

Gallery, museum and library technicians prepare artworks, specimens and artefacts for collections, arrange and construct gallery exhibits, and assist librarians to organize and operate systems for handling recorded material and files.

Tasks

(a) mounting and preparing objects for display;
(b) designing and arranging exhibit furnishings, display cases and display areas;
(c) assisting in setting up lighting and display equipment;
(d) receiving, shipping, packing and unpacking exhibits;
(e) ordering new library materials and maintaining library records and circulation systems;
(f) cataloguing printed and recorded material;
(g) entering data into databases and editing computer records;
(h) operating audiovisual and reprographic equipment;
(i) searching and verifying bibliographic data.

Example occupations

Gallery technician · Library technician · Museum technician · Taxidermist

Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits

ESCO occupational vocabulary

Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.

conservatorESCO 2621.4This occupation is narrower
Conservators organise and valorise works of art, buildings, books and furniture. They work in a wide range of areas such as creating and implementing new collections of art, preserving heritage buildings by applying restoration techniques as well as foreseeing the conservation of literary works, films, and valuable objects.
archivistESCO 2621.1This occupation is broader
Archivists assess, collect, organise, preserve and provide access to records and archives. Records maintained are in any format, analogue or digital and include several kinds of media (documents, photographs, video and sound recordings, etc.).
art restorerESCO 2651.2This occupation is broader
Art restorers work to perform corrective treatment based on an evaluation of the aesthetic, historic and scientific characteristics of art objects. They determine the structural stability of art pieces and address problems of chemical and physical deterioration.
book restorerESCO 7323.3This occupation is broader
Book restorers work to correct and treat books based on an evaluation of their aesthetic, historic and scientific characteristics. They determine the stability of the book and address the problems of chemical and physical deterioration of it.

Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)

License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)

View original

ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.

France classification links (ROME)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.

ROME code	ROME title (French)	Relation
B1403	Restaurateur / Restauratrice de livres anciens	This occupation is broader
B1701	Taxidermiste	This occupation is broader
K1609	Technicien / Technicienne en manipulation d'œuvres d'art	This occupation is broader
K1610	Régisseur d'œuvres d'art / Régisseuse d'œuvres d'art	This occupation is broader
B1702	Technicien / Technicienne en ostéologie-moulage	This occupation is broaderprovisional
K1606	Responsable de la conservation préventive	This occupation is broaderprovisional

Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.

ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)

Spain classification links (CNO-11)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

CNO-11 code	CNO-11 title (Spanish)	Relation
3733	Técnicos en galerías de arte, museos y bibliotecas	Overlapping, not the same
2931	Artistas de artes plásticas y visuales	Related, not a match

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)

Germany classification links (KldB)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

KldB code	KldB title (German)	Relation
94712	Berufe in der Museums- und Ausstellungstechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten	This occupation is broader
94713	Berufe in der Museums- und Ausstellungstechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	This occupation is broader
23423	Berufe in der Buchbinderei und Druckweiterverarbeitung - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	This occupation is broaderprovisional
93303	Berufe in Kunsthandwerk und bildender Kunst (ohne Spezialisierung) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	This occupation is broaderprovisional
93343	Berufe im Vergolderhandwerk - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	This occupation is broaderprovisional
93383	Berufe in Kunsthandwerk und bildender Kunst (sonstige spezifische Tätigkeitsangabe) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	This occupation is broaderprovisional
94704	Museumsberufe (ohne Spezialisierung) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten	This occupation is broaderprovisional
94714	Berufe in der Museums- und Ausstellungstechnik - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten	Overlapping, not the same
93304	Berufe in Kunsthandwerk und bildender Kunst (ohne Spezialisierung) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten	Related, not a match
21233	Berufe in der Steinmetztechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
22343	Berufe im Holz-, Möbel- und Innenausbau - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
23313	Berufe in der Fototechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
24533	Berufe im Uhrmacherhandwerk - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
33323	Berufe in der Zimmerei - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
41222	Berufe in der biologischen Präparation - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
93313	Berufe in der Bildhauerei - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
93513	Berufe in der kunsthandwerklichen Metallgestaltung - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
93533	Berufe in der Gravur - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
93603	Berufe im Musikinstrumentenbau (ohne Spezialisierung) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
93623	Berufe im Holzblasinstrumentenbau - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
93633	Berufe im Metallblasinstrumentenbau - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
93643	Berufe im Klavier- und Cembalobau - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
93653	Berufe im Orgel- und Harmoniumbau - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional
93683	Berufe im Musikinstrumentenbau (sonstige spezifische Tätigkeitsangabe) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional

Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)

Japan classification links (JSCO)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

JSCO code	JSCO title (Japanese)	Relation
242	学芸員	This occupation is narrower

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)

Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources